in another life
by l0ngl0st
Summary: ...I would be your girl. / Tadashi&GoGo, ficlet connection for an assortment of AUs.
1. locked out of apartment

**A/N: **IT NEVER ENDS. Okay, so this collection will be for all of my Tomadashi AU drabbles/scenarios that have no connection with canon...a.k.a. ANYTHING GOES. Awkward train meetings, having to share an umbrella at a bus stop, whatever. (That means you guys, as readers, can request oddly-specific AUs as well...I'll see what I can do :P). Meanwhile, bubblegum and baseball caps will be for more movie-verse shenanigans :)

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><p>Scenario: <em>"I'm locked out of my apartment in my underwear and your apartment is right above mine, so could I use your fire escape?" <em>AU

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><p>It is <em>way<em> too early in the morning for this. GoGo rolls out of bed, groaning, and stumbles over to her door. On the other side, someone continues knocking—polite, but firm.

She wrenches open the door, giving the best stink-eye she can in her half-awake state.

A boy stands in her doorway. Half of his hair is sticking up, the other half flattened against the side of his head, and his hand pauses in mid-air before dropping to his side. He flashes her an embarrassed smile.

"Um…sorry to bother. I was just wondering…" he coughs, clearing his throat. "You know what? Let's start over. Hi, I'm Tadashi."

"You're also in your underwear," GoGo points out helpfully, crossing her arms and leaning against the doorframe.

Tadashi blinks, looking down. "Right. Um, yeah…oh, good grief," he exhales heavily, covering his face with a hand. GoGo notes that the tips of his ears have turned bright red. She takes the opportunity to study him further: plain white shirt, striped boxers, nice, from what she can gather. Under normal circumstances, he might even be cute, if he weren't interrupting her treasured sleeping time.

Tadashi, having recovered from his embarrassment, straightens and looks at her. "So, this is going to seem like an odd request, but can I use your fire escape?"

"Depends."

Confusion flits across his face, but Tadashi manages to marshal it into a hesitant smile. "Depends…?"

"On your reason." GoGo inspects her fingernails, trying to keep her features in an impassive mask. Oh boy, this is going to be _fun._

"Okay, well. My brother builds these bots, and he decided it'd be hilarious to sic a bunch of them on me. So, after having ran for my life, I'm now locked out of my apartment," explains Tadashi.

That explains the hollering she heard earlier—GoGo had thought it was part of a dream or something. She tries to muffle her snicker; it comes out as a snort, one which Tadashi seems to interpret as disbelief.

"I'm not lying."

"How old is your brother?"

"Fourteen."

"He sounds like a genius."

"He is," says Tadashi, his mouth curving into a proud smile. Then his face darkens as he mutters, "But he is _also_ up to no good, which is why I need to get back into my apartment."

She remembers better, now. She's seen Tadashi and his brother before—Hiro, if she remembers correctly—but she never knew that they lived right below her. Then again, GoGo hadn't exactly made it her mission to meet all her fellow inhabitants when she moved in.

"Help yourself," gestures GoGo, stepping out of the way.

Tadashi smiles gratefully, making his way to her window. As he walks through the room, his eyes fall upon her rumpled bed, and he shoots an apologetic look over his shoulder. "Sorry about waking you up."

GoGo shrugs, watching as he pushes the window open and slides a leg through.

"So what about you?"

"Me?" asks Tadashi, pausing.

"Your brother likes to build bots," elaborates GoGo. "What do you like to do?"

Tadashi drops onto the grate below. "I like to build, too. But I'd rather use those skills to help people…" His voice fades a little as he starts down the ladder, and, without meaning to, GoGo finds herself leaning out the window to hear him better.

"…rather than using it for pranks—_you hear me, Hiro?"_ finishes Tadashi, raising his voice a little as he manages to work the window back into his apartment open.

"Hey, Tadashi!" A bright, chipper voice responds, and a mass of bushy black hair pops into view. "Wow, you could have just used the front door, you know."

"You're a little twerp," counters Tadashi, wriggling his way back inside. GoGo shakes her head at the brothers' antics, ready to return to the warm embrace of her blankets.

Tadashi's voice stops her. "Hey! Um…"

"GoGo," she supplies, raising an eyebrow.

"GoGo," repeats Tadashi, testing its sound. He's leaning halfway out his window, craning his neck up at her. "Thanks for everything!"

GoGo flicks two fingers out from her brow, saluting in acknowledgement before turning around. _Now_ she's ready for bed.

"Good night, GoGo!"

_Good grief,_ thinks GoGo. Out loud, she says, "Good _morning_," nodding toward the pink streaks starting to paint themselves across the sky.

"Good morning, GoGo." Tadashi corrects himself, smiling at her.

And even though she's far from a morning person, GoGo smiles back.

(Only slightly, though. She's still a little annoyed.)


	2. seen you 'round campus

**A/N: **for Nap Team Captain; I hope I did your request justice! :) (Also, I live for Tadashi being a flustered dork)

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><p>Scenario: <em>GoGo and Tadashi see each other around campus every day but never really try to get to know each other until their friends introduce them. Cue: "oh, you're that guy I've heard so much about" <em>AU

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><p>Tadashi isn't sure what exactly about her first catches his attention. But after a month, he becomes used to seeing her face everywhere, even if it's just in passing. The coffee shop at 2:30 in the afternoon. A bookshelf in the library. The grassy quad. Later, he learns they're in the same design class, though she sits toward the back and tends to be the first one out the door when the period ends.<p>

That one trait jumps out at him, even more than the bright purple streak in her hair. If Tadashi were more confident, he'd ask, "What's the hurry?" But as it is, he only watches and wonders at her brisk pace—what places she has to go, what people she has to meet.

Not that the petite, purple-haired girl occupies much of his thoughts. Between drawing up plans for his robot, taking care of Hiro, and Honey Lemon's excited chatter ("My friend GoGo is working on this bike—it's going to be _awesome! _You two have to meet sometime!"), he hardly has room to sleep, much less think. Meeting Fred adds another wheel to the dizzying ride that is his college life, and Tadashi wakes up every morning thinking, _how can it be a new day already?_

So when Honey Lemon drags him to a café one day and Tadashi sees _the girl_ sitting at one of the tables, he doesn't think much of it. They seem to frequent a lot of the same places, and he's too busy going over schematics in his head to pay attention to anything else. It isn't until Honey Lemon starts pulling him toward the table that he notices something's up.

"Um, Honey—"

"I want you to meet someone," says Honey, biting her lip in excitement.

Tadashi doesn't have time to protest. Within seconds, they stand in front of the table; the girl looks up, a pink bubble emerging from her lips.

"GoGo!" greets Honey, breathless, "sorry to keep you waiting! Anyhow, Tadashi, this is GoGo; GoGo, this is Tadashi."

"You're the one building the bike!" realizes Tadashi. GoGo raises an eyebrow at his outburst; Tadashi reddens, backtracking: "Um. That is, Honey Lemon's told me a lot about you."

GoGo sneaks a suspicious glance toward her friend, who smiles innocently. "Same," she finally says, looking back at Tadashi. "You're the one building a robot."

"Yep. We're in the same design class," says Tadashi. "You're always the first one out the door."

Honey muffles a giggle and Tadashi makes a mental note to program an _off_ button for himself as soon as he finishes with Baymax. He's pretty sure that within the span of two minutes he has managed to sufficiently creep GoGo out, and the impassive look on her face doesn't do anything to ease his nerves.

But at least it can't get worse, right?

Wrong.

"All right you two, I'm going to go to the bathroom," declares Honey. "Get acquainted and order something all right?"

"Honey—" starts Tadashi.

"I'll be back!" Honey Lemon practically sings, skipping off.

GoGo and Tadashi stare at each other in silence. Eventually, Tadashi slides into the seat across from her, leaving the one in between them for Honey Lemon. A waiter passes by, setting three waters on the table before moving on, and Tadashi takes a gulp of his before speaking.

"So."

"So," repeats GoGo, raising an eyebrow.

"How's your—um, how's your bike coming along?"

"Good. Minus the wheels."

"It has something to do with electromagnetic suspension, right?" asks Tadashi, trying to remember bits and pieces of the stories Honey Lemon has told him.

"Yep," GoGo replies, popping the "p."

Tadashi nods, swallowing. "That's really neat."

GoGo's eyes crinkle slightly; she looks like she's barely restraining a laugh.

Hesitantly, Tadashi asks, "What? What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just…" GoGo shakes her head, smiling. "The way Honey talks about you, I expected you to be really smooth and collected. But you aren't. At all."

Tadashi chokes on his water. "Wh-what…" he manages, spluttering, "what exactly did she say about me…?"

GoGo looks at him from under her eyelashes, fiddling with her straw, before she leans forward and says, rapid-fire: "_Look_ GoGo, I _promise_ I'm not trying to set you up! He's just a really cool guy and I think you guys would get along well and come _on,_ it could be the start of a beautiful friendship! You never know! Just show up, okay? It's about time I introduced you two."

It's a spot-on impersonation. Tadashi can't help laughing.

"Well. I must be a grand disappointment, after all that hype."

GoGo shrugs. "Your robot sounds pretty cool. Honey told me about it."

"We can always count on Honey, huh?"

GoGo smiles fondly. "Yeah."

The atmosphere eased somewhat, Tadashi plays with his napkin before saying, "So, what do you think?"

"About what?"

"_Is_ this the start of a beautiful friendship?" He keeps his tone light, teasing.

GoGo crosses her arms and leans back in her chair, a smile tugging the corner of her lips. "We'll see."


	3. only losers cause leaky pipes

**A/N: **in which Hiro is so done with Tadashi's pathetic attempts at wooing girls. Also, BROTHERS

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><p>Scenario: <em>AU where Gogo is the landlord's daughter of the apartment where Tadashi lives and when she comes over once to fix his heater, he begins to start breaking things to see her more.<em>

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><p>"This is pathetic," says Hiro, staring at the small puddle slowly forming on the floor.<p>

Tadashi looks up from the leaky pipe, walking over to the counter and grabbing a towel to dry his hands. He tucks his tools away before reaching for his phone, dialing and pressing it to his ear.

Hiro can pinpoint the exact moment the person on the other end picks up, because Tadashi straightens, resting one hand on his hip as he stares at the ceiling and _grins._ "Hey, GoGo? It's me, Tadashi. Um, I don't know if you have time, but we sort of have a situation—"

Hiro climbs onto the counter, crossing his arms and swinging his legs as he watches his brother with one eyebrow cocked. "Wow, I wonder how this is going to play out."

Tadashi holds up a finger, motioning for him to be quiet. "Yeah, it's nothing major, just a leaky pipe, but I'm not really sure—"

He blinks as the line presumably goes dead. Hiro holds back a snort, glancing at his watch, and begins counting.

Ten minutes later, they hear a knock on the door. Tadashi leaves the room to answer it, and he comes back with the landlord's daughter on his heels.

GoGo looks, as always, businesslike, with an edge of mild annoyance.

"Hey, GoGo," Hiro pipes up cheerily, exchanging a look with Tadashi over GoGo's head while GoGo crouches on their bathroom floor, inspecting the pipe.

"Hi, Hiro," mutters GoGo, cracking open her toolbox and yanking out a wrench. She pins her purple streak of hair behind her ear to keep it out of her face as she works, tapping along the pipework. "And you said you just…found it like this?"

It takes a while for Tadashi to register that she's speaking to him—he's too busy staring at her, a fond smile on his face. Hiro watches as his brother blinks dumbly and manages, "Uh, yeah. Just like that."

Hiro tries not to roll his eyes. His brother is an _idiot_.

GoGo's eyes narrow slightly. "Huh," she grunts.

It saddens Hiro to say that this is hardly the first time something like this has happened. First it was the heater. Then it was the sink, and then the hot water again, and now, the pipe. Hiro prays that Tadashi won't think of something stupid like the toilet next, because Hiro will die of enough embarrassment for the both of them. Genius though he may be, Tadashi Hamada is a lost cause when it comes to girls.

Meanwhile, GoGo is nothing if not efficient; she finishes after about a half-hour of tinkering and small talk (Tadashi: "Do you want some water or…something?" GoGo: "Fine, thanks." Tadashi: "Thanks for helping out." GoGo: "Pass me that bolt, will you?")

Afterwards, Tadashi walks her to their door and comes back with the stupidest smile on his face.

Hiro looks up from his bot (in thirty minutes of boredom, he has managed to think about five different capabilities he can add to this thing) and sighs, dropping his cheek against one hand. "Unbelievable."

"Hey," says Tadashi pointedly, refusing to have his good mood ruined. "Thirteen-year-olds don't get to judge."

"It's not even judgment at this point, it's a fact," declares Hiro, turning up his nose. "You have reached a whole new level of _lame._"

His air of superiority doesn't last for very long, because Tadashi reaches forward and grabs his ankles, dragging him off the counter. Hiro shouts as he dangles upside down from Tadashi's back, legs hooked over Tadashi's shoulder.

"What was that?" asks Tadashi, jiggling him a little as he parades Hiro through their living room.

"Put me down, Tadashi!" protests Hiro, half-laughing as he swings dizzily. Mochi watches them lazily from his perch on the sofa's arm.

"No can do, buddy. Not until you retract that hurtful statement," says Tadashi, spinning him in a circle.

Someone knocks on their door, and Hiro thinks that Tadashi's going to finally set him free, but Tadashi moves to answer it while still clutching Hiro's legs.

"I'll retract that statement when you finally man up and ask GoGo out," retorts Hiro, and that's as much of a defense as he can muster because the blood is starting to rush to his head.

And then he gets _dropped_ on his head.

"Ow!" yelps Hiro at the same time Tadashi swings the door open and says, "_GoGo?_"

From his vantage point on the ground, Hiro can see GoGo standing in the doorway, one eyebrow raised. "I left my bag," she explains, blowing a bubble.

"Oh, shoot, right," says Tadashi, practically leaping over Hiro's prone body to go retrieve it, and Hiro sighs, because so much for _helping a brother out._ He pushes himself up on his elbows, turning to look at GoGo, who is leaning against their doorframe and staring after Tadashi in what can only be described as fond amusement.

Well _that's_ a plot twist.

GoGo catches him looking and quickly pulls a face, as if to say, "_What's up with your brother?"_

Hiro shrugs before lying back down on the ground. He pushes his hair back from his forehead, staring at the ceiling fan as his mind tries to process this new information.

His brother and the landlord's daughter.

He can't believe it might _actually_ happen.


	4. mixed up mail

**A/N: **I said this was a ficlet collection but this idea really ran away with me, so here, have 2000+ words of fluffy shenanigans :P

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><p>Scenario: <em>I moved into your old house and we keep getting your mail <em>AU

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><p>"Huh." GoGo's father grunts as he sifts through the mail that morning, hunching over the table and adjusting his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose.<p>

"What's up?" asks GoGo, sliding his standard cup of tea in front of him.

"We got someone else's mail," answers her father, leaning back in his chair and holding the envelope up to the light spilling through their blinds. He squints at the lettering. "Honey, does 'Cassandra Hamada' sound familiar to you?"

GoGo's mother shuts off the faucet, shaking her hands dry. "Hamada…that's the family we bought the house from, isn't it?"

A quick survey of their records reveals that GoGo's mother is right (as always). Further snooping reveals that the Hamadas have relocated to 337 Skyline Boulevard, and GoGo is only half-surprised when she gets assigned to deliver their mail.

"Be back in time for lunch," says her mother, pecking her on the cheek.

"Right," GoGo mutters as she pushes her bike down the steps, the door shutting behind her. Before she hops on, she flips the envelope over, studying the neat, blue-inked scrawl and the carefully-placed stamp. She shakes it a little, bringing it to her ear, and hears nothing of interest. Just the standard letter, then. Probably something well-wishing, or maybe it's a friend from long ago, which would explain why they didn't get the memo about the Hamadas' updated residence.

Either way, it's a standard delivery, no different from the countless others GoGo has made. She tucks it in her bag and starts down the street.

_Let's get this over with._

o.O.o

337 Skyline Boulevard turns out to be a large white and blue building. It even has turrets. Fancy. GoGo enters Lucky Cat Café with some trepidation, because places like this mean lines and lines mean _waiting_ and, well, her parents like to joke that she came out of the womb "ready to roll," so.

She heads to the counter, where a woman with a mop of brown hair bustles happily, humming something under her breath. "Oh, hey there!" she chirps, upon seeing GoGo, "what can I do for you?"

"I'm looking for a Cassandra Hamada."

"That would be me," the woman answers, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "And call me Cass! Here, sit down." She motions to one of the stools in front of the counter before darting away to take an order. Just as quickly, she returns, pulling her hair back with one hand and fanning herself with the other. "Whew! Never slows down around here. All right, what did you say you needed?"

"This is for you," replies GoGo, pulling out the envelope. Cass takes it, blinking rapidly as she catches the sender's address.

"Oh, wow. Haven't heard from her in a while," she laughs, tucking the envelope into the pocket of her apron. "Thanks, dear. What's your name?"

"GoGo," responds GoGo, getting ready to slide off the stool and head out.

Cass's hand on her arm stops her, though. "Not so fast. I have to make your trip worthwhile, right?" she winks. "Coffee?"

GoGo wrinkles her nose before she can think better of it.

"All right, hot chocolate then. Or how about tea?"

"Tea is fine," sighs GoGo, settling back into her seat. Cassandra Hamada is a whirlwind of a woman, and GoGo straightens a little in respect as she watches her work, whipping up drinks and dishing out pastries without thinking twice.

Somehow, Cass manages to keep up a conversation through her myriad responsibilities and wants to know all about the house—how it's doing, did they fix up the yard, and _sorry for the awful shade of green in that one room_ (GoGo smirks, tells Cass that her father loves it, actually, and decided to paint his office the same color)—which is how GoGo ends up five minutes late to lunch for the first time in her life.

Surprisingly, though, she's okay with it.

o.O.o

The second time GoGo drops by to deliver the mail, Cass is nowhere to be seen. Instead, a boy is manning the counter, greeting every customer with the kind of smile that would make GoGo's cheeks hurt if she tried it.

GoGo takes a breath. Approaches. "Hi."

"Hi," he replies, arm snaking around her to push a cup closer to the edge of the counter, where a little kid reaches up to grab it. "What would you like?"

"Do you know where Cass is?"

The boy pauses, looking at her more closely. "Sure, yeah, she's my aunt. She's out buying groceries right now so you might have to wait around a little—"

"This is for her," GoGo interrupts, placing the envelope on the table and sending it spinning across the surface with a flick of her finger. "You might want to tell her to tell her friend that you guys have moved."

The boy studies the envelope, his black hair flopping forward a little, before he looks back up at her and tilts his head. "You live in our old house."

GoGo nods.

"I'm Tadashi," he introduces. "Do you want something to drink?"

"No thanks," GoGo says quickly, because she's not going to fall into the same trap, not a second time. However, Tadashi is already insisting, "Just something, as a thank you. How about tea?"

It turns out hospitality is a Hamada thing, GoGo thinks grumpily as a dainty porcelain cup is pushed toward her. She isn't strapped down, but she might as well be, what with the look on Tadashi's face that is practically a glowing neon sign for: _warning, about to initiate conversation!_

"So, do you have a name?" he asks, pulling out a rag to wipe down the counter.

"I go by GoGo," GoGo answers, then grimaces at the unwitting repetitiveness of her statement.

Tadashi notices it, too, shooting her a sideways grin. "So, GoGo, what do you like to do when you aren't delivering mixed up mail?"

"You don't have to flirt with me, you know."

Tadashi's hand freezes mid-wipe, and he looks at her wide-eyed, the tips of ears going red. "I wasn't—I'm not flirting!"

"Good, because you're terrible at it," comments GoGo. Tadashi opens and closes his mouth, furrowing his eyebrows before attacking an invisible spot on the counter more vigorously, and GoGo bites back a laugh. "Relax," she finally says. "At least you didn't try a pick-up line."

Tadashi finally looks at her again. "Do you hear those often?"

"Only from Fred."

"Fred?"

"He's a friend," discloses GoGo, and she honestly doesn't know why she's telling Tadashi this, but he just has an easy air about him and if she's going to be here until she finishes her cup of tea, then why not? "Terrible jokes and gag-worthy pick-up lines are his lifeblood."

"Let's hear one, then," says Tadashi, resting an elbow against the counter and smiling at her.

"A joke or a pick-up line?"

"Either." He shrugs.

"Are you a banana? Because I find you a-peeling," she says, and, okay, so maybe her delivery is a little lacking, but Tadashi's chuckle almost convinces her otherwise.

"It's kind of endearing, if you think about it."

GoGo just snorts and rolls her eyes, because who even uses the word _endearing_ out loud anymore, except for grandmothers? "Right."

"Right," confirms Tadashi, "so, GoGo, as payment for subjecting me to such an awful pick-up line—and for that cup of tea, which you are clearly enjoying—you owe me a straight answer this time: what do you like to do for fun?"

It's not the smoothest, as far as segues go, but GoGo humors him. "I like riding my bike."

And when Tadashi asks, "To where?" she answers that, too.

o.O.o

It becomes a weekly thing, because apparently _Susan Woodward_ doesn't understand the concept of moving, or something. But GoGo gets free tea out of it, so she doesn't really complain. Maybe she _should_ feel a little bit guilty, but her Saturday mornings ought to be worth something, right? And on her fourth delivery session, she meets the last of the Hamada clan.

"So you're GoGo," says Hiro, hunched over and tinkering with a tiny robot in his lap.

"Yep."

"Tadashi tells me you live in our old house?"

"Yeah," says GoGo, gaze sliding to where Tadashi is busy icing a cupcake; she jerks her attention away quickly when he looks up.

"Who has the blue room?"

"Me," says GoGo, focusing more fully on the gap-toothed fourteen-year-old in front of her. "Why?"

"That was my room," Hiro tells her, setting his screwdriver down and frowning. "Anyways, there's this panel, toward the back of the closet, where I used to stash all my stuff, and I was wondering—"

"_Hiro,"_ Tadashi says sharply, glaring from his post.

Hiro rubs the back of his neck, looking sheepish, but the minute Tadashi turns his back, he leans over the counter, shielding his mouth with one hand and whispering, "Anyways, I think I might have some spare parts still lying around there, and it'd be really cool if you could check and let me know and bring them next time."

"I'll look," agrees GoGo.

"Thanks, GoGo, you're awesome!" says Hiro. "Don't tell Tadashi, though, 'cause he thinks it's rude that I'm asking you this, or something. Whatever. You don't have siblings, do you? Older brothers are kind of overrated."

"They are," GoGo says, smirking into her cup and exchanging a look with Tadashi, who just throws his hands up in the air and mouths, "Unbelievable."

o.O.o

"Try this!"

The fruit tart is shoved in front of her before she can react; GoGo opens her mouth to object, but Tadashi bends over the counter and whispers, "You'd better do as she says. Aunt Cass is going to be heartbroken if you don't."

So GoGo takes a bite. And then another.

_"__Yes!"_ cheers Aunt Cass, fist-pumping. "Am I a master, or what?"

"It's good," nods GoGo.

"Better than good, I'd say," says Tadashi. "I mean, GoGo's actually eating it, and we all know how hard _she_ is to impress."

GoGo sticks her tongue out at him, not caring that she probably has pastry flakes stuck to the corner of her mouth.

Aunt Cass laughs, shaking her head. "You kids. Tadashi helped me with the crust, you know."

GoGo pushes the plate away, trying to look as bored as possible. "In that case, it's passable."

_"__Passable?"_ objects Tadashi, crossing his arms and looking offended.

"Passable," confirms GoGo, swiping some custard with her finger and licking it off slowly.

"I suppose the custard part's 'passable,' too," sniffs Tadashi, and GoGo likes riling him up more than she'd like to admit—

"It's delicious, actually." She holds up a finger. "Want some?"

Tadashi draws closer, wary, and with good reason, too, because as soon as he's within range, GoGo smears some across his nose.

"Oh, you're on," he says, eyes lighting up as he reaches behind him for the whipped cream, but Aunt Cass blows back into the scene before it can escalate, waving her arms.

"Hey, hey, _hey,"_ she scolds, wagging her finger, "Tadashi Hamada, behave yourself! No starting food fights with customers, especially when it isn't even after-hours, yet! Goodness, boy, are you _trying_ to give me a heart attack?"

"I'd say GoGo's more of a fixture, at this point," Tadashi teases over Aunt Cass's head, and GoGo's never really noticed how tall he is, until now, but she shoves that thought down and wrinkles her nose at him instead.

"Oh, hush," says Aunt Cass, turning to look at GoGo. "You're always welcome here, you know, with all your patience delivering our mail, not to mention putting up with him."

GoGo shrugs. "He isn't so bad," she says, and means it.

o.O.o

And then, one day, there is no letter.

o.O.o

GoGo stands under the awning of Lucky Cat Café, debating. Through the glass doors, she can see Aunt Cass weaving in between tables. Meanwhile, Tadashi stands behind the counter, and the whole scene is so familiar that she almost believes she can just breeze in and seat herself and things will unfold the same way they do every Saturday.

Except it's different, when she doesn't have the excuse of a delivery. Because without a letter for Aunt Cass, GoGo's just a girl dropping in for a cup of tea, and she doesn't know what that means.

She's not sure she _wants_ it to mean something, yet.

o.O.o

"Mail."

GoGo has grabbed her jacket and is halfway out of her seat before she can fully think, and only her father's cleared throat stops her: "It's for you."

She sinks back into the kitchen chair, confused, and accepts the white envelope. And smiles.

_Nerd,_ she thinks fondly as she tears open the flap, because _who sends letters, anymore?_ She chalks off the thumping of her heart to the novelty of the whole thing, and not because of the sender or anything like that, because GoGo Tomago doesn't do…whatever this is.

The note spills onto her lap, and GoGo unfolds it, spreading it out on the table:

_Do you work at Starbucks? Because I like you a latte._

_Terrible pick-up lines aside, we've missed you these past few weeks. And I might have two tickets for a concert later this week, so what do you say you drop by for a cup of tea and then we could exchange numbers? Unless you prefer this whole snail mail thing._

_-Tadashi_

"Where are you going?" asks her father as GoGo shoots up, heading for the door.

"Delivery," GoGo shouts over her shoulder, waving the emptied envelope over her head.

She smiles the whole bike ride there.


	5. work in progress

**A/N:** yet another long AU. Happy Valentine's Day! :)

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><p>Scenario: <em>ArtistPhotographer _AU

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><p>This is his magnum opus. This is his masterpiece. This is—<p>

"—a little off," says Hiro.

Tadashi sucks in a breath and sets down his paintbrush, turning to look at his brother, whose head is tilted slightly as he squints at the easel. "_What_ did I say about the ongoing commentary, knucklehead?"

"'Not helpful,'" replies Hiro, making air quotes with his fingers. He settles back into the blue beanbag, fiddling with his little robot. "Thought you could use some constructive criticism, though."

"It's—look," sighs Tadashi, rubbing his eyes wearily, "I've been staring at this thing for hours. I already know something's off."

"Want a snack?"

"Not really."

"Suit yourself," shrugs Hiro. "_I'm_ going to the vending machine."

Tadashi watches his younger brother scamper off, the door thudding shut behind him. Afterwards, Tadashi takes a few steps back, squinting and rubbing the side of his chin as he contemplates whether the blue on his canvas is the exact shade he's after.

The door behind him squeaks open. "No, Hiro, I am not giving you more money so you can buy gummy bears," Tadashi says reflexively.

The rapid-fire sound of a shutter clicking makes Tadashi pause, however. Frowning, he turns and finds a large black lens staring back at him.

"Um…can I help you?"

"Pretend I'm not here," says the person wielding the camera, circling around him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa," says Tadashi, crossing his arms. "Not so fast."

Sighing, a girl emerges from behind the lens. She stares at him unflinchingly, one hip jutting out, her camera resting in her right hand even though its strap is looped around her neck.

"Look," she says, blowing one large, pink bubble, "I have a photography project due pretty soon, and you seemed like a good subject, but if it's going to be too much trouble I can just go down to the sculpture kids—"

"No!" blurts Tadashi—and, okay, so maybe he's _slightly_ intimidated by this girl's aura—but he'd like to be helpful regardless of that. "I don't have a problem, I just wanted to know. So, uh, yeah, we're cool."

"Cool," the girl repeats, arching one sleek black eyebrow.

Tadashi shifts uncomfortably, uncrossing and crossing his arms. Finally, he decides to let them hang loose at his sides, in a show of ease or…something.

"What's your name?"

"GoGo," replies the girl, fiddling with some settings on her camera. "And, not to be rude, but my project kind of hinges on capturing you working."

Tadashi shoots her a rueful grin. "You might have to come back later. I'm having a bit of a mental block right now."

GoGo shrugs. "Part of the process. Look thoughtful or something, then."

"Right," says Tadashi, swiveling slowly back toward his work. He tries to become immersed in the painting once more, but GoGo's figure is a dim blob at the corner of his eye.

_Click._

Tadashi picks up a paintbrush.

_Click._

"What's the name of your project?"

"_In media res,_" answers GoGo, crouching, now.

"Clever," muses Tadashi, staring at his unfinished work. _In the middle of things._ "Am I—are there others?"

GoGo straightens, her purple-streaked hair falling in her face as she flips through her photos. Tadashi tries to glean from her expression whether the images she's taken are satisfactory or not. As if sensing his gaze, GoGo looks up, locking eyes with him. "Don't worry," she teases, lips quirking, "you won't be the sole focus of my fifteen photos."

"I expect to be in at least five, though," jokes Tadashi. He immediately regrets it when GoGo shoots him a skeptical look, as if she isn't quite sure where he's coming from.

Honestly, he has no idea, either.

"So anyways," coughs Tadashi, attempting to salvage the situation, "I'm Tadashi. If that information is even relevant to you."

"It is, actually," smirks GoGo, pulling a folded piece of paper out of her pocket. She walks over to him. "I need to make sure I have your permission to use photos of you in my exhibit."

"Whoa, back up," says Tadashi, patting his pockets for a pen, "I know you said project, but now it's an exhibit?"

GoGo rolls her eyes. "Just the school's museum. They're blocking off a section to put our work up." She frowns. "Won't your stuff be going up there, too?"

"Well, yeah," says Tadashi, "in May."

GoGo nods, watching as Tadashi grabs the nearest flat surface (some broken down cardboard box—Tadashi can't remember what he was doing with it) and uses it as a makeshift clipboard to sign the permission form against.

"Thanks," she says, folding it into a neat square and shoving it in her back pocket. Tadashi can't help blinking in surprise as she heads to the door, because she's only been around for what, twenty minutes? That can't be it.

"You aren't going to stick around longer? Capture some of my better angles?" he voices, and internally face-palms immediately afterwards. He doesn't want to give her the wrong impression—they've only just met, after all. On the heels of that comes another realization: Hiro should be back by now.

That _knucklehead._

GoGo doesn't comment on his contorted expression, but she does pause in the doorway. "Good luck with your painting," she wishes, finally, and Tadashi gives a halfhearted wave.

o.O.o

GoGo comes back. It turns out her last few photos were too static. Tadashi doesn't question it, mostly because GoGo keeps to herself during these encounters. He learns not to pay too much attention to her, which makes his movements less stiff and awkward. Honestly, Hiro could take a page or two from GoGo's book on what it means to be a respectful observer, but every time Tadashi brings it up, Hiro gives him this _look._

The _look_ is Hiro's silent way of communicating "you're stupid," but Tadashi has never put much stock in it. _Fourteen-year-olds_, he scoffs. Thinking they know everything.

On this particular day, GoGo sprawls on the beanbag, toggling with the settings on her camera while Tadashi paints. He's made progress since her last visit, having started on the skyline, and the thought makes him cheerier than usual. So cheerful, in fact, that he stops mid-whistle and decides to strike up some conversation.

"Get anything good?"

From behind him, GoGo grunts, pushing herself up on one elbow. It's kind of comical, actually, how far into the seat she sinks. "Maybe."

"Sounds promising." Tadashi drops his paintbrush into the rusty tin of water by his foot and reaches for a tube of paint, squeezing a dollop onto his palette. "So what's your deal with photography, anyways?"

"What's my deal?" GoGo repeats, staring at him.

"Yeah. For example, I paint because it's relaxing and it helps me stop and breathe. What's photography do for you?"

"Captures a moment," GoGo answers simply, resting her arms on the back of the beanbag. "I like that you have to be fast enough to realize when something good's about to happen, and then you have to be fast enough to get it on camera."

Tadashi adds this to the list of things he knows about GoGo, right below the entries on her dyed hair and leather jacket. Stroke by stroke. Maybe one day, he'll get the whole picture.

"Ever considered painting?" he asks, pushing one of his sleeves further up his arm.

"Too messy," says GoGo, eyes focused on the yellow splotch of paint on the side of his hand, and Tadashi senses that they're talking about something else.

o.O.o

He stops by the photography lab once (or twice). Not to spy, because Tadashi Hamada isn't _creepy,_ he's just…curious. Through the door's glass panel, he can see GoGo working in a corner of the room. She has photos plastered all over the wall, and Tadashi watches as she reaches up with a black marker to draw a small "x" on the corner of one. It strikes Tadashi, her fastidiousness.

Tadashi doesn't consider himself an art snob, but he's never thought much about photography. He's used to Aunt Cass's rapid succession of flashes, the pages and pages of photo albums capturing his candid moments and then some: chasing Hiro, fighting over the cereal box, awkward smiles and half-asleep grimaces, mid-blink, mid-sneeze. GoGo's process seems more meticulous, less hobby and more art. In that moment, despite the thick door separating them, Tadashi feels close to her—an irresistible pull, like the first time he picked up a brush.

The moment breaks. The door swings open, a broad-shouldered, bearded boy with short dreadlocks filling the frame. "Need some help? You look a little lost."

"No. I—I'm fine, thanks," Tadashi says quickly, sneaking away.

o.O.o

"The presentation's next week," GoGo declares around a fistful of peanut M&M's, the candy crunching loudly in the cozy studio. Dust drifts lazily through the windows, and Tadashi sticks his tongue out of his mouth in concentration, dabbing some grey onto his canvas to mimic the hazy, rain-soaked streets he's attempting to convey.

"Yeah?" he knows, without turning, exactly what she looks like: lounging like a cat, sharp-eyed and unapologetic, with just a sliver of a smile.

"Eight o'clock, west wing," discloses GoGo. Something rustles—she's getting up, probably headed to class.

"I'll be there," Tadashi promises.

o.O.o

On opening night, Tadashi shows up in a collared shirt and some slacks because he isn't sure about the dress code for these things. He finds GoGo chatting with a shaggy-haired boy in a beanie by a plaque bearing her name and a brief explanation of her collection; her work hangs in sleek black frames along the white walls. She's wearing a black, one-shouldered number, a cropped blazer thrown over it, and Tadashi realizes that he's never seen her in a skirt or dress during the times she visited his studio.

Not wanting to interrupt her conversation, he starts at the far end of the pictures, working his way down the row. Each image captures someone in the middle of an unfinished work of their own—editing a rough draft, building a birdhouse, assembling a bookshelf, cooking dinner. And then there's him.

He seems lost in his own world, brow furrowed in concentration. Paint buckets and cans of varying heights surround him in a circle, something Tadashi's never noticed before. He has a paintbrush sticking out of his back pocket, a charcoal pencil behind one ear, and a messy streak of paint across his left cheek, but despite the colorful mess around him, the photo still centers on _him_, and Tadashi's heart beats a little faster. Maybe he's reading too much into things, but he's seen GoGo work—her diligence, her planning. He's the last photo in this collection, which could be plain dumb luck but also a carefully engineered design to get him to—

—he turns, bumping into GoGo, who tilts her head and greets, "Hi."

"Hi," he swallows thickly, mouth suddenly dry. "Your project—it's great."

"Thanks," GoGo says, eyes crinkling as she smiles and shakes her head slightly.

"What?"

"You have paint on your cheek."

Tadashi's hand shoots to his face quickly, cheeks flushing with embarrassment.

GoGo laughs, brown eyes bright and warm, and it's like everything snaps into focus, _click,_ as quick and easy as pushing a button, as flash going off, a shutter opening and closing.

o.O.o

They don't see each other again after GoGo's showcase. Tadashi can't help feeling used—just some subject picked up and discarded, a face in the crowd. He knows he probably shouldn't feel that way. He'd known what he was signing up for when GoGo handed him that paper, so why does he feel like he still needs answers for a question he never asked?

Whatever the case, he ends up at the photography lab after two and a half weeks of silence. The room is empty except for the bearded boy from before, who introduces himself as Wasabi.

"You're Tadashi, right?"

"Um, yeah. How do you know that?"

Wasabi points to GoGo's corner of the room. It feels intensely private, barging into her space like this, but Tadashi crosses the room anyways. There, he finds a series of shots, and, in one column, several photos of himself. Almost all of them have black "x's" in the corner, save the final print that ended up making it into the exhibit, and Tadashi turns to go because this isn't anything he hasn't already seen.

He stops, though, when a different photo catches his eye: one where he's smiling over his shoulder at the camera. The corner is dog-eared.

"A picture is worth a thousand words," intones Wasabi, standing behind him.

Tadashi doesn't say anything, letting his eyes scan the walls, soaking everything in, wishing he could see more inside the head of this girl who is just as much of an enigma as she was on the first day they met.

"She isn't good at verbalizing these things, you know," Wasabi continues. "So you should help her out."

"Where—" Tadashi gulps, starts again. "Where would I find her?"

"At the park, probably. She likes to go down the bike trails, take photos of the scenery."

Tadashi thinks of the words _in media res_ and _you have to be fast enough to realize when something good's about to happen,_ wonders about photographers being camera-shy and if GoGo would ever let him paint her, if maybe she's scared about someone else seeing her the way she sees the world—straight to the truth of things, their beating heart.

He practically runs out the door.

o.O.o

"All right, let's see this masterpiece," says GoGo, following him closely. Under her breath, she mutters, "I still don't get why you tracked _me_ down to see it, out of all people."

"A little respect, please," teases Tadashi, pushing the door open with his hip. He races ahead of her to stand by the easel, which is covered by a black cloth.

GoGo crosses her arms, hip cocked. "Okay. I'm ready."

"Voila." Tadashi pulls the covering off. Holds his breath.

GoGo stares, stunned, mouth opening and closing wordlessly. Her eyes dart to him, questioning. "Are you—"

"Yes."

She narrows her eyes. "You don't even know what I was going to ask."

"Educated guess," shrugs Tadashi. "Look, GoGo, I know that we don't know each other super well. But I'd like to, if you give me the chance."

Her face softens, and Tadashi thinks that he wouldn't mind spending the rest of his life smoothing over the crease between her eyebrows, wouldn't mind sketching her like this, with her back ramrod-straight and the light slanting over the bridge of her nose.

"All right," she agrees. "One date, and we'll see where it goes from there."

A grin splits his face. He reaches out—to pat her shoulder, to thank her, he doesn't know—but she steps forward willingly and somehow he ends up cupping her face, thumb running across her cheek. She leans into his touch before grimacing and glaring up at him.

"You just got paint on me."

Tadashi inwardly curses as he realizes that yes, there is now a spot of blue where there wasn't before, and hurriedly tries to rub it off, but GoGo places a hand over his, stilling him.

"I'll live," she says, rolling her eyes.

They stand like that, soaking in the silence and their surroundings, until GoGo asks, "So when do I get to see your _real_ painting?"

"Later."

She raises an eyebrow. "It isn't actually finished, is it?"

Tadashi tilts his head, considering. "It's a work in progress," he answers.

_Like us._


	6. by any other name

**A/N: **for Tomadashi Week Day 3: "Opposites."

* * *

><p>Scenario: <em>demon!Tadashi and angel!GoGo<em> AU

* * *

><p>Tadashi doesn't remember Before.<p>

But he's pretty sure that whatever image his former self had of the afterlife looked nothing like _this_—"this" being one black wall and three white ones. In the center of the room sit two giant armchairs (one black and one white) with a small coffee table between them, on which rests a gleaming, golden book and a vase with a single black rose.

"Congratulations, you've been Assigned," says Tadashi's escort—a haughty-looking man in a pinstriped suit—before disappearing, leaving nothing but a rush of air in his wake. Tadashi scans the room, looking for some kind of door, but the walls around him remain smooth, impenetrable.

This is weird. Way weird. It isn't helping that he knows next to nothing other than the fact that his name is Tadashi and he is Not Alive. Not in the…human sense, anyways.

Because he isn't human anymore, as far as he can tell. The bat wings are kind of a giveaway.

Hesitantly, Tadashi reaches out to touch one of his wings, rubbing its leathery thickness between his fingers. He rolls his shoulders experimentally, adjusting to the light weight attached to them.

And then, because he has nothing else to do, he heads toward the black armchair.

As he circles around the seat, he realizes, for the first time, that he actually isn't alone. Someone has already claimed the white chair (which is fine, Tadashi thinks, because an internal voice tells him that that is The Way Things Are Supposed to Be). He can't see the person's face or much of their body, which is obscured by two large, fluffy white wings. The occupant of the white armchair seems to be napping; Tadashi tries to sit down as quietly as he can, but he hasn't learned how to retract his bat wings yet and winds up nearly knocking the vase to the floor.

A hand snakes out and catches the vase before it can drop, and the white wings fall away to reveal a small girl whose murderous look does not match the golden halo hovering over her head.

"Watch it," she snaps, pulling the black rose closer to her side of the table and away from Tadashi's wingspan.

"Um," Tadashi stammers, "sorry, I just—" he pushes one of his wings aside, which has started creeping into his line of vision, "I'm not used to these things. So a little patience would be much appreciated."

The white-winged girl studies him, eyes narrowed, before she lets out a short laugh and rolls her eyes toward the ceiling. "Oh, joy. They stuck me with a newbie."

"I'm sorry?" blinks Tadashi. He glances at the golden book, trying to glean something from its cover. Right now, any answers or explanations would be nice.

The girl looks back at him, then says, grudgingly, "I'm GoGo, your resident angel."

"Oh," Tadashi says dumbly, pretending he understands.

GoGo raises an eyebrow. "And you're…?"

"Tadashi," he answers, proud of the one thing he knows. He inspects his black suit and his bat wings, reaches a conclusion, and sighs. "And I guess that means I'm…a demon?"

"Fast learner," comments GoGo. Tadashi can't tell if she's joking or not.

"Okay…" he starts, puzzling through things out loud. "And we're here because we've been Assigned."

"Reassigned, in my case."

Tadashi frowns. "Why?"

"They didn't like the way I handled some situations."

"But you're an angel," says Tadashi. "How can you do anything wrong?"

GoGo shrugs. "It's no fun being good all the time."

"But," Tadashi splutters, "that's your _job._"

GoGo sighs, reaching out to comb through one of her wings. "Easy for you to say. You're just a newbie. But it gets tiring after a while. You'll see."

Tadashi opens his mouth to respond but is interrupted as the black wall before him—which is a screen, Tadashi now realizes—flickers to life, revealing a messy room and one gap-toothed boy sprawled on a bed, his mouth slightly open as he sleeps.

"Who—" Tadashi starts to ask, but information flows, unbidden, into his mind: _Hiro Hamada. 14. Male._

"And _that_ would be our Assignment," says GoGo, arranging her wings around her as she straightens from her earlier position slouched against the chair. She raises her voice a little, directing it toward the screen: "Wake up, kid. You're late for school."

In front of them, Hiro snorts before shooting up, eyes wide, almost frantic. Hurriedly, he checks the clock by his bed, muttering "Dammit!" as he fumbles in his drawers for a change of clothes.

"No cursing," GoGo chides, but Tadashi can tell her heart isn't in it.

He watches in awe as Hiro's life unfolds before them. The boy rushes down the stairs, nearly tripping over his cat in the process as he grabs his backpack from by the front door and swoops over to peck his aunt on the cheek. Then he's out the door, urged in part, Tadashi thinks, by GoGo's chant of "Come on come on come on."

Tadashi settles back in his seat, content to let GoGo do her job, since she clearly knows better than him about the procedure for these things. Until—

"Wait wait wait!" He surges forward upon seeing the old lady.

On the screen, Hiro halts mid-step, about to dash across the crosswalk. He looks back over his shoulder at the elderly woman hobbling behind him, and Tadashi gets a dizzy rush as he realizes, _I did that. I made him stop._

GoGo stares at him incredulously. "What are you doing?"

"Help her cross the street," Tadashi instructs Hiro, before turning to GoGo and responding, "What does it look like I'm doing?"

"It looks like you're interfering, that's what."

"What—" Tadashi gapes, gesturing toward the screen. "I'm _helping_ someone! Come to think of it, shouldn't you have thought of that? You're supposed to be all about doing good."

GoGo holds up a finger. "Good for who, hm?" she asks. "Good for him. And right now, he needs to get to school. Stat."

"Come on, this'll take thirty extra seconds, tops."

The two of them return their attention to Hiro, who has awkwardly taken the old woman's hand and started on an arduous walk across the street.

"Try five minutes," scoffs GoGo.

"It's still the right thing to do. Think of it like this—it's for the greater good."

"The greater good," says GoGo, "does not hinge on this old lady. Look, this kid's a genius. He's going to change the world. But say he gets to school late? It looks bad. His teacher gets on his case. He starts to withdraw. And then instead of focusing his talents on changing the world, he wastes them. So, whose decision was for the greater good then?" She raises an eyebrow in challenge.

"You just made all of that up."

"Angels can't lie."

"Uh-huh. Because you've been such a stellar example of 'angelic' so far."

"Are you trying to start a fight, newbie?"

"I don't know. Are angels allowed to fight?" Tadashi shoots back, then immediately regrets it when GoGo surges out of her seat, her wings beating once behind her.

"Try me."

"Oookay," Tadashi exhales shakily, easing out of his seat. His bat wings loom large and imposing over the two of them, but he still feels at a disadvantage somehow, even though it's GoGo who has to crane her neck upward to glower at him. "Look, like you said, I'm new. And I was just trying to do what I thought was right."

GoGo's expression softens. Slightly. "Want some advice, Batty?"

Tadashi bristles but doesn't say anything except, slowly, "Sure."

"Stay in your lane." GoGo holds up a finger. "And stay out of my way." A second finger joins the first one. "Two things. Got that?"

Tadashi whistles. "Well, _now_ I understand why they reassigned you."

"You—" GoGo reddens, drawing her arm back as if to punch him, and Tadashi gets ready to jump out of the way, wondering if he can actually use his wings to escape her wrath.

The tension is broken when GoGo's halo flares brighter and chimes loudly.

GoGo's face shutters and she stomps back to her chair, flops back into the seat, presses her palms together, and closes her eyes. The sudden shift in atmosphere leaves Tadashi more disconcerted than ever; he watches GoGo take several steady breaths before he feels safe enough to venture, "Um, what are you doing?"

"Meditating," growls GoGo, cracking open one eye. "Reasserting my 'inner harmony.'" Her tone of voice makes it clear that she isn't pleased with this.

"Oh," Tadashi says, and bites his tongue to refrain from saying something that will set her off again, like, _"Who knew angel haloes doubled as shock collars?"_ because GoGo is a pitbull that he does not want to scrap with. Instead, he settles back into his chair, tapping his fingers against his knee and watching as Hiro arrives red-faced and panting at the bus stop.

Awkwardly, Tadashi clears his throat, shooting a sideways look at GoGo—still meditating—before he tries, "Maybe you should just skip school."

Hiro straightens from where he'd been doubled over gathering his breath and looks around the bus stop. It's occupied only by some businessman too engrossed in his phone and a little girl and her mother, and Tadashi can tell that Hiro is seriously starting to consider his whispered suggestion.

_Nope. Can't do it._

"Just kidding," exhales Tadashi, feeling extremely guilty for even offering the option in the first place. "Get on the bus."

Hiro listens, thankfully. Tadashi sinks back into his seat, relieved. It's stressful, playing the bad guy. He isn't sure he likes it. GoGo remains silent, but as he looks over, he can see a small smile playing on her lips.

_Great. The resident angel thinks I'm a wuss._

Tadashi messes with the cuffs of his suit. Counts to thirty. Starts over and counts up again. And then, finally: "Can I say something?"

"No one's stopping you," GoGo says dryly.

"Okay. Well. Clearly, these assignments are bogus."

GoGo raises an eyebrow. "Ooh, demon boy's finally having some sacrilegious thoughts. Tell me more."

Tadashi shoots her an exasperated look. "I mean, I'm just saying—you obviously don't have the proper disposition for this post."

"_Obviously_," GoGo echoes, smirking. She's dropped all pretense of meditation now, regarding him with open interest and amusement.

"You think this is funny!" complains Tadashi.

"Isn't it? A demon is telling me that I suck at my job."

"Look, I'm sorry! I'm trying to be honest, not offensive—"

"Don't do that."

"What?"

"Apologize," huffs GoGo. "You're _supposed_ to be the bad guy! Jeez, while we're on the topic about sucking at things, let's talk about you, Mr. Boy Scout."

"I'm not—I wasn't ever a Boy Scout," protests Tadashi, choosing to overlook the fact that he doesn't exactly have a backstory to draw upon.

GoGo sees right through his lie. "Really, now. Are you absolutely, 100% sure?"

"I just think," continues Tadashi, pointedly ignoring what is obviously an attempt to get a rise out of him, "that you can't pigeonhole people."

"But we aren't people."

"We were," says Tadashi. Then, uncertainly, "Weren't we?"

GoGo nods, her eyes softening slightly.

"Oh." Tadashi swallows. "Do you remember anything about…about your life before?"

"No," says GoGo.

"Do you ever wonder?"

"Sometimes." She tilts her head, studying him. "Okay, out with it. You obviously have another question."

"I…What do you think I was like?" Tadashi blurts, immediately reddening.

A slow grin spreads across GoGo's face. "Oh, that's easy."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I know _exactly_ what you were like."

"So tell me," presses Tadashi eagerly.

"A giant nerd."

Tadashi deflates. "Ha, ha."

GoGo snorts; her snort turns into a full-blown laugh. "Oh, that was priceless. The look on your face!"

"You know what?" Tadashi decides abruptly, placing his hands on the arms of the chair and pushing himself up. "I have an idea."

GoGo looks at him warily. "What?"

"Don't look so concerned," says Tadashi, crossing over to her side of the room. "It goes like this—why don't we switch places? You obviously have a better time tormenting people than I do. It doesn't matter who's controlling what, as long as the job gets done, right?"

GoGo bites her lip, one hand tapping against the arm of her chair. "I don't know."

"We're just switching chairs, GoGo," says Tadashi, holding a hand out to her. "What, are we going to get struck by lightning or something?"

GoGo's eyes dart toward the ceiling. "Who knows?" she mutters. "Stuff like this isn't in the rule book."

"Who cares about rules?" teases Tadashi, wiggling his fingers. "I'm a demon, remember? I live to break them."

A slow, sly grin sneaks across GoGo's face, and Tadashi feels something stir in his gut. He wonders if there are rules against _this_, too, the connection sparking up between them. He thinks that maybe he doesn't care.

GoGo takes his hand. "That's more like it," she says.


	7. the element of surprise

**A/N: **For Tomadashi Week Day 4: "Elements"

* * *

><p>Scenario: <em>ATLALOK-verse _AU

* * *

><p>Tadashi never sees the motorcycle coming.<p>

One moment, he's stepping onto the street while admiring Republic City's blue sky, his fingers curled around a paper bag of warm steamed buns; the next moment, the wind is knocked out of him and he careens sideways, landing in a messy heap on the asphalt.

Someone curses. Tadashi pushes himself up slowly, trying to get his bearings. His first instinct is to check the food—_safe_—before he notices the sound of footsteps approaching.

"Hey."

He looks up to find a girl standing over him, motorcycle helmet tucked under one arm.

"You okay?" she asks, expression a mixture of guilt and annoyance, and as her gaze darts back to her bike, Tadashi gets the sense that she's just as worried about her motorcycle's wellbeing as she is about him. Maybe more. (He'll give her the benefit of the doubt.)

"Yeah," he reassures, smiling brightly.

The girl doesn't move. Instead, she watches him expectantly; Tadashi realizes he hasn't made a move to get up, still too dazed from the impact.

Sighing, the girl holds out a hand. After some deliberation, Tadashi takes it, jerked forward by the force of the girl's grip as she pulls him to his feet.

"Uh," he says, at a loss. "You're pretty strong, huh?"

The girl raises an eyebrow, her gaze scanning him for any cuts or bruises. "So are you, it seems. Took that hit like a trooper."

"Yeah?" Tadashi grins at the compliment. (It _is_ a compliment—right?)

The corner of the girl's mouth twitches. There's something familiar about her—the jagged ends of her hair, the set of her chin—but Tadashi can't place it.

"Try not to do it again, though," she cautions, sliding her helmet back on and walking over to the motorcycle. The dust she kicks up as she speeds away makes his eyes water, but Tadashi watches her go anyways.

o.O.o

He takes Hiro to that night's probending match, because Hiro will find a way to sneak out to one anyways, so it's better if Tadashi's at least around to accompany him. His younger brother lights up like a flame in the arena, and not for the first time, Tadashi wonders what things would be like if their parents were still around. He and Aunt Cass try their best, but they're still nonbenders, able to do little more than watch as Hiro figures out how to manage the fire flowing through his veins.

Beside him, Hiro opens and closes his hands, creating a flame and then snuffing it out as he waits for the action to start. His knee bounces in excitement as he asks, "Who do you think is going to win, Tadashi?"

"No idea," Tadashi says, holding out the bag of popcorn. Hiro grabs a handful and shoves it into his mouth before toasting another one to a crisp with his fingers.

"I think it's going to be the Tigerdillos," Hiro says. Tadashi figures his brother's guess is as good as any—he practically devours probending stats, and Tadashi's pretty sure Hiro has picked up some pocket money from secretly placing bets, but that's a conversation for another time. "Their firebender is _sick._"

"Mhmm," Tadashi says as the lights die down over the audience and the spotlights flare over the arena. An extended cheer goes up as the players come into view, waving from their platform.

Tadashi scrutinizes the Tigerdillos, interest piqued thanks to Hiro's assessment. From where they're seated, he can't make out many details beyond stature, build, and belt color. The Tigerdillo's earthbender is muscular, his uniform stretched broadly across his chest; the waterbender is willowy, hair tied up in a messy bun that peeks over the edge of her helmet. She and the earthbender tower over their third member, the firebender Hiro spoke so highly of. He or she—Tadashi can't tell, from this distance—remains relatively stoic, especially compared to the waterbender, who waves and flashes peace signs and blows kisses to a legion of adoring fans.

The bell dings. The match starts. Rock disks meet water meets fire, colliding into puffs of steam. Tadashi watches, transfixed, as the Tigerdillos advance.

"Look, Tadashi, that's what I'm talking about!" says Hiro, grabbing his sleeve and pointing. Tadashi blinks, watching as the Tigerdillos' firebender rolls to her feet after throwing herself sideways to avoid a blast of water. He finds he can't look away. She's a blur of motion, all sharp, rapid punches and darting maneuvers, and Tadashi can tell from the way she plays that she's the kind of person to throw herself fully into whatever task is at hand.

The Tigerdillos have a brief scare in round two but blaze to victory in round three. Hiro surges to his feet, triumphant: "What'd I tell you, huh, 'Dashi?"

Down on the platform, the winning team takes their helmets off, faces flushed with exertion and pride.

And as a shock of black hair—_spiky ends, purple streak_—emerges from under the firebender's helmet, as she tucks it under her arm, cradling it the same way she cradled her motorcycle helmet, Tadashi thinks: _Oh. _

_Oh._

o.O.o

Hiro wants an autograph.

But the kid is also darned shy when he wants to be, so Tadashi finds himself pushed into the line instead.

He knows her name now. He kind of feels stupid that he'd ever forgot it, because Hiro has a poster of the Tigerdillos _in their room._ GoGo Tomago, of the raised eyebrow and piercing look—Spirits, Tadashi has seen her face before falling asleep—although when you phrase it that way, it sounds kind of creepy.

"Next."

Tadashi stumbles to the front of the line and everything he'd been planning to say ("Hey, my brother's a big fan, and wow, fancy seeing you here") flies out the window. He winds up awkwardly thrusting a pen and poster in GoGo's face.

She's sandwiched between her two teammates, laughing at something Honey Lemon has whispered. The self-contained aura she had earlier in the day has disappeared, replaced by the glow of camaraderie and confidence, but something about that makes her seem less approachable to Tadashi, like she's cruising on some higher plane of existence.

But then she looks at him, does a double-take, and it's like getting the wind knocked out of him all over again.

"Hey," she says, smiling a little in recognition.

"Hey," Tadashi replies.

He honestly doesn't know what he was expecting. Maybe something along the lines of, "It must be fate," though, looking back, that sounds all sorts of cheesy that Tadashi is pretty sure GoGo Tomago would never spout.

What GoGo Tomago _does_ say? "You're the guy I hit with my bike."

"Yeah…" Tadashi winces. Honey Lemon giggles.

"So you're a probending fan, huh?" says GoGo, pulling the poster toward her and uncapping the marker. She holds it, poised. "What's your name?"

"I'm not," Tadashi says, then realizes how bad that sounds and adds, hurriedly, "I mean, I am. A fan. But not as big a fan as my brother, who the poster is for. He's Hiro. And I'm…I'm Tadashi," he finishes lamely, watching as she signs her name. Her handwriting is just like her, he thinks, the end of the "o" swooping out into oblivion, like it has places to go.

"Hi, Tadashi," chirps Honey Lemon, reaching over to scrawl her name on the corner of the poster as well. "Where's your brother?"

"Over there." Tadashi points to where Hiro is watching anxiously from the sidelines; when Honey Lemon waves, he flushes bright red and jerks his attention determinedly toward the water and away from the autograph table.

"He a firebender?" asks GoGo, spinning the pen in her hands as she looks up at him.

"Um, yeah. Watching you has made a big impact on his life. I mean, not as big as the impact you made on me with your bike, but—" he cuts himself off when he sees Honey Lemon elbow GoGo.

"I'm sorry, did you just make a joke about me hitting you?"

"Um…" The tips of Tadashi's ears burn. _Why_ oh why does he say these things?

"Don't worry, _I_ thought it was cute," winks Honey Lemon, waving another person over.

"I—I wasn't…" _hitting on you,_ Tadashi wants to finish, but there's another inadvertent joke in there somewhere and he isn't sure he wants to sink any further.

"Relax," smirks GoGo. "I don't bite."

"Yeah, you just punch stuff. With fire."

"I wouldn't punch you, though. I think I've dealt you enough pain for the day," teases GoGo.

"Yeah." Tadashi shifts his weight from one foot to the next, catches Hiro widening his eyes at him from afar. "Um, I should go. Thanks for your time." He takes the poster back and tries to walk away at a leisurely pace, resisting the urge to glance over his shoulder and see if GoGo's eyes are even following his departure.

When he finally reaches his brother, Hiro bumps his elbow. "_Finally._ What took you so long?"

"Nothing," says Tadashi, shoving his hands in his pocket as they start to walk back toward the city.

"'Nothing,' huh?" Hiro says in his know-it-all voice. "Then how do you explain _this_?" he turns around and waves the poster in Tadashi's face.

Tadashi pulls it back to study it more clearly and sees, written along the bottom:

_Hiro—keep feeding those flames_

_Tadashi—maybe we'll run into each other again_


	8. rules of engagement

**A/N: **long story short, I'm a sucker for belligerent sexual tension and wanted to try out that dynamic with these two. Written for Tomadashi Week Day 6: "Need for Speed"

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><p>Scenario: <em>Delivery person competition <em>AU

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><p>"I need someone to take these cookies to Mrs. Yoneda," Aunt Cass announces, setting a carton outfitted in pink ribbon on the counter.<p>

"Got it," says GoGo, easing off the stool. She's about to reach for the box when an arm whisks it out of reach.

"I'll take it," offers Tadashi, already halfway out the glass doors of the café. He whistles cheerfully as he makes his escape, blithely ignoring GoGo's glare as it burns itself into his back.

"Hamada, get your ass back—"

"_Language, _GoGo!" Honey Lemon reminds from her station by the coffee maker.

o.O.o

How does one explain her rivalry with Tadashi Hamada?

It starts like this: a family-owned café nestled at a busy intersection; an offhanded, _"We could always use an extra set of hands,"_ a grudging need for pocket money (bike repairs don't pay themselves). It starts with a dingy red moped, which is an offense all its own. It starts with, _"Trust me, I'm a pro,"_ and the fact that it's been three months and Tadashi still beats her in the amount of deliveries he makes every time.

Every. Time.

At this point, things have transcended simple competition. For GoGo, this is a matter of pride.

o.O.o

"Wasabi, I'm going to need your help icing these cupcakes—"

"No fraternizing with the enemy," GoGo scolds from her perch, intercepting the platter that Honey Lemon is about to hand over to Wasabi.

Wasabi stares at her incredulously before his eyes cut to Honey Lemon, questioning, silently, _Is she serious right now?_

Out loud, he says, "Look, GoGo, I know you and Tadashi have this thing going on, but as far as I know we never agreed to make it an all-out boys versus girls affair."

"But we all know that when you're done with these, you're going to box them and give them to Tadashi," explains GoGo, sliding the platter back toward Honey Lemon's side of the counter.

"Sorry, Wasabi," Honey Lemon says forlornly, taking her cupcakes and putting some distance between them. "But until GoGo wins, you and I will have to part ways."

o.O.o

They have rules, of course.

The first is that, under no circumstances, may they mess with the actual products being delivered. They're mature enough to realize that whatever differences they have must always take a backseat to Aunt Cass's business. At the end of the day, it's Aunt Cass who puts a roof over Tadashi's head and Aunt Cass who pays GoGo's wages, and none of that happens if her baked goods don't get to their customers in one piece.

But other than that?

It's war.

o.O.o

"GoGo, I don't think this is a good idea…" Honey Lemon whispers nervously, her limbs awkwardly bunched together as she crouches beside her friend.

"Just leave it to me," says GoGo, patting Honey Lemon's knee. The water bottle is cold in her other hand. Through the leaves, she can just make out the street and resists the urge to check her watch. Tadashi Hamada is nothing if not reliable; he'll get here soon enough.

As predicted, said boy—_arch nemesis_—putters up the road a few minutes later, his red moped easing to a stop. He's humming to himself as he takes off his helmet, and GoGo bites down hard on her lip because _god, _she cannot believe that she keeps losing to _this nerd_—

Tadashi is halfway up the walkway when GoGo springs into action. Bursting through the foliage, she squeezes the water bottle in Tadashi's direction with all her might. Tadashi flinches as the first cold drops hit him and jumps back in surprise, maintaining a tight grip on the plastic bag that has the Lucky Cat Café logo printed across its front.

"GoGo?" he splutters, eyes jerking between her hand and the blooming wet spot on his white T-shirt and _wow, okay, he's actually pretty fit—_

GoGo stamps these traitorous thoughts to dust and sidles up to him, grinning. Honey Lemon hangs back, unsure of what to do.

"Need some help there, Hamada?"

Something in Tadashi's eyes flickers before he's back to looking as serene as ever. "I can't deliver these looking like this, can I?" he muses.

"Afraid not," agrees GoGo, easing the bag out of his hands. To Honey Lemon, she says, "Told you I'd handle it."

Behind her, Tadashi laughs. "You're good, GoGo," he says, before stepping closer and whispering, low and warm in her ear: "But not good enough."

GoGo suppresses a shiver. One of these days, she's going to punch him. In the mouth.

Instead, she backs away, bringing the bag up to her face and shaking it slightly for show. "This one's mine," she declares, daring him to challenge it.

A beat passes. Tadashi shrugs and heads back down the pathway, his wet T-shirt leaving tiny water droplets on the concrete. GoGo watches him leave (_never turn your back on an opponent_). His moped wheezes a little as it starts back up, which rankles GoGo further (seriously, her bike is _so much better)._

Once Tadashi is gone, she marches up to the porch and rings the doorbell.

"Delivery," she smiles.

o.O.o

It's the end of the day and the shop is closing up for the night. The tables have been wiped down, and as Wasabi finishes mopping in one corner, Cass clambers onto a stool and clears her throat, holding two sheets of paper up to the light. Every game must have its system, after all, and GoGo and Tadashi figured that a formal documentation of their efforts was in order.

"Ahem." Cass clears her throat, beginning the nightly ritual, "tonight's winner for most deliveries is…"

GoGo allows herself a smile, because Tadashi has always beaten her by one, but no longer. This time, she stole one from right under his nose. This time, the moment is hers; no longer will she have to watch him swan around on that (_disgraceful_) moped of his.

"…it's a tie."

_What?_

In the corner, Wasabi groans, muttering something that sounds like "God help us all." GoGo whirls around, furiously seeking out Tadashi, but he's already disappeared—probably, she bets, to gloat.

"It's all right," Honey Lemon says from her side, accent bleeding through with worry. "You'll get it next time."

"Damn right I will," mutters GoGo.

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches a flutter of motion. Tadashi emerges from the storeroom, eyes connecting with hers. With a slight tilt of his head, he gestures for her to follow. And even though she's loath to follow him anywhere, curiosity wins out. Honey Lemon watches her go, a knot of concern appearing between her eyebrows, probably bracing herself for the bickering about to ensue.

Once GoGo enters the storeroom, Tadashi keeps moving further toward the back. He hasn't bothered turning the lights on overhead, and GoGo narrows her eyes, trying to adjust to the gloom. In a minute, Tadashi pulls open the back door, waiting for her to go through before he steps outside with her.

They're behind the café now. Tadashi remains on the steps, and GoGo crosses her arms, determined not to let the height difference intimidate her.

"What do you want, Hamada?" she asks, not bothering to mask her distrust.

Tadashi shrugs, his hands held behind his back. "I have something for you, actually."

"Really."

"Really." He grins boyishly, but GoGo knows better than to fall for it. "We tied, GoGo. So, I have a peace offering." On cue, he pulls his hands from behind his back to reveal—

—a cupcake.

GoGo stares. "You can't be serious," she says, scrutinizing Tadashi's face.

Tadashi keeps his arm extended, holding it out to her. The earnest look on his face never wavers. "I'm serious, GoGo. It's all yours."

It looks good. GoGo knows from experience that Cass's cupcakes are to die for; the pink frosting glimmers invitingly in the moonlight.

Hesitantly—and then more decisively, because she would never show weakness in front of Tadashi—she reaches for the cupcake.

And misses. With a quick flick of his wrist, Tadashi dodges her grasp and steps forward, smashing the cupcake to her forehead.

GoGo makes a noise somewhere between a shriek and a strangled gasp, staring at him in betrayal. The frosting sticks, sugary sweet, and Tadashi begins to smear it—down her nose, across her cheek.

"Now we're even," he remarks, raising his eyebrows in amusement, even as his voice drops to a low intonation.

GoGo trembles with rage. Tadashi Hamada is dead. _So dead._

While she stands still trying to muster some form of retaliation, Tadashi reaches out and brushes some of the frosting away from the corner of her mouth. He brings his thumb to his lips, eyes remaining locked on hers as he licks his finger clean.

"Raspberry," he announces, mouth curling upwards. GoGo wants to wipe that smug grin off his face—

"My favorite," she finds herself staying instead, and the glint in Tadashi's eyes tells her that he knows. _What else does he know?_ she wonders.

Because—and this is the real reason for the anger simmering in the pit of GoGo's stomach—the truth is that GoGo can declare war all she wants, but when it comes to this particular battle, she lost ages ago.

The light in Tadashi's eyes darkens just a fraction as he steps closer, bending his neck. When he next speaks, his lips graze hers. "Mine, too," he whispers.

GoGo wants to do a lot of things right now. She wants to dismember Tadashi limb from limb. She wants to beat his delivery record. But she also wants to push Tadashi against a wall and listen to his breath hitch, and if there's anything to be said about GoGo, it's that she knows how to prioritize.

She's just about to surge up on her tiptoes and give Tadashi a taste of his own medicine when the door above them is thrown open and a flood of light nearly blinds her.

"No fraternizing with the enemy!" Honey Lemon giggles, snapping a photo.


	9. just wanna find our way

**A/N: **Whoops and I forgot to post this, Tomadashi Week Day 7: "New Beginnings" Also, to my readers: I see you with your suggestions! ;)

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><p>Her car battery dies somewhere between San Fransokyo and Santunis.<p>

GoGo hits the horn in frustration and throws herself back against the seat, sighing. In the distance, the town of Santunis glimmers, a jewel sandwiched between the red sand and dark sky.

She pulls the keys out of the ignition, trying to gauge the distance between her and the city limits, and, after much deliberation, takes out her cell phone. Her mother picks up after two rings, voice drowsy with sleep: "GoGo?"

"Morning," mumbles GoGo, aware that it's 4:00 A.M. on a Saturday. "Just wanted to let you and Dad know that I won't be able to make it to lunch today."

"Hm," her mother says, a little more alert now, but if she senses the wobble in GoGo's voice, she doesn't press the issue. "All right." Quickly, she adds, "Be safe, GoGo," before GoGo hangs up.

GoGo lets out a sigh of relief as she ends the call. If this were during her teenage years, she could have expected an earful, something along the lines of _where are you and what were you thinking?_ But moving out has been a weight off of her back, even as other concerns, like paying the bills on time, make themselves felt.

The next conversation is harder. GoGo scrolls through the five missed calls, thumb hovering uncertainly before she bites the bullet and taps the blaring red name.

"_GoGo!"_ Honey Lemon practically shouts, though the cadence of her voice melts into concern shortly afterwards. "Are you okay?"

"Fine," GoGo says, biting the inside of her cheek to keep from saying anything else.

"Tommy came by with your stuff," confides Honey Lemon, and GoGo can envision her now, curled up on the couch of the apartment they share, sifting through her belongings. Knowing Honey, she's probably already started sorting the items into _Tommy's_ and _GoGo's_—GoGo's to keep, Tommy's to deposit in the nearest garbage can.

GoGo stifles this thought, smiling bitterly.

"So you guys are really done, huh?" prods Honey Lemon gently.

GoGo blinks, takes a rattling breath. "Yeah," she says, testing the next words out on her tongue. "We're done."

"Where are you?"

GoGo squints. "About…half a mile outside of Santunis?"

"_Santunis?"_ screeches Honey Lemon; GoGo winces. "GoGo, that's _four hours away._"

Three hours and forty-two minutes, if you hit the gas hard enough—which GoGo did. And maybe she should be chastising herself for acting so impulsively, but GoGo's always thrown herself into things headfirst. Throughout the years, she's found that the best way to deal with her problems is to leave them behind in the dust.

Which is exactly what drove Tommy crazy—the idea that she could just put things behind her and go, go, go, move on with her life, and he'd _still_ wanted to marry her, and _god_, GoGo thinks, grinding her teeth, they're _twenty-four_; how could he have asked her a question like that and expected her to say yes?

On the other end, Honey Lemon whispers, "GoGo?"

"Here," GoGo says, fumbling for a piece of gum to keep her mouth and mind occupied so she doesn't do something dumb like cry, because she won't, not over something as stupid as this—

"It's okay to be sad, you know."

"I'm not." She settles for grape even though tonight is a cinnamon kind of night, snaps the gum between her teeth. "I'm _mad._"

"He wasn't—he loved you, GoGo."

"If he really did, he'd have understood."

He'd have understood that GoGo couldn't commit, not when she couldn't even decide what motorcycle she wanted to get or what color she wanted to dye her hair next, not when she has no clear vision of where she's headed, much less who she wants by her side as she barrels into the future.

GoGo tells herself this and knows she's right. Her reaction was justified, she'd been clear—but it still hurts. It hurts because she can't forget three years' worth of exploring San Fransokyo's night scene, playful wrestling matches and Friday night movie marathons, Tommy's dimple and the way he would swoop her into his arms and spin her around and around, how she'd pretend to hate it when she really didn't. She can't forget the way time had always seemed to pass slowly and all too fast whenever they were together.

But most of all, she can't forget the way he looked tonight: eyes flinty, mouth hard. The way he'd pushed himself up from one bended knee, snapped the ring case shut like something final and said, "I can't do this anymore, GoGo. I can't keep following you when you're always going to be chasing after something else."

So now she's here, aware that this time, Tommy won't be coming after her. There's a sick sort of satisfaction in that knowledge, and GoGo focuses on this as she pops open the trunk and grabs her bike.

The solar panels on her car are a bust until the sun comes out, and GoGo doesn't want to stick around for that long. That leaves only the town; hopefully someone is awake and willing to lend her enough juice to get her back home.

Sighing, GoGo locks her car and hops on her bike.

She doesn't look back.

o.O.o

She's worked up a sweat by the time she finds a cozy diner, its lights blinking _Open 24/7_ in the window. There are a few cars parked in the lot, and GoGo wipes off her brow and sticks her hands in the pockets of her leather jacket as she shoulders her way through the doors.

A bell tinkles faintly overhead, but few people stir. The lone person manning the counter looks up, smiling briefly before returning to mixing himself some coffee. Meanwhile, GoGo's gaze swoops through the diner, assessing.

She rules out the two guys with tattoos and the family of four whose father looks like he's about to fall asleep. That leaves only the boy tucked in the booth at the corner. He's wearing a blue button-up, the sleeves rolled up just before his elbows, and his black hair flops forward as he studies the paper in his left hand, reaching every so often with his right to take a sip from the tea-cup in front of him.

GoGo orders a shot of espresso, steels herself, and walks over.

"Hi."

"Uh—hi," says the boy, brown eyes widening a little as he sees her, and GoGo feels more secure about her choice, because he has a open, trusting look to him, as if he hasn't quite learned how to hide all his feelings yet.

"I'm GoGo," she begins, extending a hand.

"Tadashi," he replies, standing up to shake her hand. He pushes some of his papers aside—GoGo realizes, now, that they're scattered across the table and catches a glimpse of one that looks like a sketch for some mechanical part—and asks, "Did you, uh, want to sit down?"

"Sure," she says, sliding into the seat across from him.

Tadashi leans back in an attempt to appear comfortable, but GoGo catches him twiddling his thumbs before he rubs his hands against his pants (_khakis and a belt,_ GoGo notices, thinks: _business trip?_) "So, is there something I can help you with?"

"There is, actually," she confides, looking out the window. "My car battery just died on the outskirts of town, but I need to get home." She winces a little at how sketchy the request sounds, but she's too tired to phrase it differently, and she'll figure something else out if he declines. When she brings her eyes back to Tadashi, he has a thoughtful look on his face.

"Where are you headed?"

"San Fransokyo."

Tadashi blinks in surprise. "So am I."

GoGo wants to laugh at the irony. It seems that no matter how far she runs, she can never quite escape the things that matter. "Well, isn't that something," she says.

Tadashi studies her, and GoGo resists the urge to shift in her seat. After a beat, he nods. "All right, I'll help you. How'd you get into town?"

"Bike."

His eyebrow jumps a little in surprise, and GoGo wants to roll her eyes.

"Okay, well, why don't you ride with me back to your car? It'll be faster," suggests Tadashi.

"Fine by me," shrugs GoGo. Then, a little softer: "Thank you."

Tadashi smiles, straightening out his papers before tucking them in a laptop bag and sliding out of the booth. "It's no problem. Come on, let's go."

o.O.o

The inside of Tadashi's car smells fresh, like cotton, so GoGo is a bit surprised when she pulls a strand of what looks like cat hair off the seat.

"Oh, yeah," Tadashi says sheepishly as he turns the key in the ignition, "that's from my cat, Mochi."

The car starts to life and he hurriedly turns the radio off, but not before GoGo catches snatches of the power ballad belting through the speakers.

"Why'd you turn it off?" she asks teasingly.

She can't quite tell in the dark, but Tadashi seems to redden a little as they pull out of the parking lot.

"You can turn it back on if you want," he says after a pause.

GoGo reaches out and fiddles with the dial, leaning back in her seat as "Total Eclipse of the Heart" soars into the space between them. She probably shouldn't feel so at ease in a stranger's car, but Tadashi is so unassuming it's impossible not to feel comfortable.

Besides, he doesn't look like he's ever been a fight, whereas GoGo knows a few tricks, should she need them.

"Wouldn't have guessed you listen to this kind of music," she discloses, crossing her arms over her chest.

Tadashi glances at her. "Oh? What would you have guessed, then?"

"Classical," says GoGo, eyes lingering on the neatly folded collar of his shirt.

"Ah." Tadashi clears his throat, fingers tapping the steering wheel. He changes lanes as he changes the topic: "So what brought you out to Santunis?"

"It's more like what chased me out of San Fransokyo," GoGo finds herself admitting. Immediately after, she wishes she hadn't.

"Oh?" Tadashi wonders but doesn't pry, and that sole gesture makes GoGo warm towards him.

"Bad break-up," she discloses, deciding that she has nothing to lose.

"How long?" murmurs Tadashi.

"Three years."

"Wow."

"Yeah," says GoGo, hand going to her seatbelt as she taps on the window. "Here, there's my car."

Tadashi pulls over to the shoulder of the road, positioning the hood of his car in front of hers. The sky is starting to lighten, and GoGo gets to work, tossing one end of her jumper cables over to Tadashi.

"What about you?"

"Me?"

"What's for you in San Fransokyo?" clarifies GoGo, brushing some of the hair out of her eyes.

"My aunt and my little brother," says Tadashi, getting ready to start the engine of his car. "I was away trying out this new internship."

"Robotics?" guesses GoGo.

Tadashi shoots her a surprised look from through the windshield, his voice a little muffled as he asks, "How'd you know?"

"Saw your papers," admits GoGo as her dead battery begins to charge.

"What do you do for a living?"

"Mechanical engineering."

"So we're both from San Fransokyo and we're both into tech," smiles Tadashi. "What else do you have up your sleeve?"

She detaches the jumper cables and shuts the hood, leaning against it as she leaves her car running so it can continue to charge. "Kickboxing, ultimate Frisbee, and bubblegum," she lists, crossing her arms.

Tadashi mirrors her pose, leaning against the hood of his own car, his hands shoved loosely in his pockets. He tilts his head, considering, before asking, "Soccer or football?"

"Football," answers GoGo. "Salsa or guacamole?"

"Salsa," chuckles Tadashi. "Waffles or pancakes?"

"Waffles. Books or movies?"

"Books," replies Tadashi, laughing when GoGo snorts and says, "Of _course._"

"What, you don't like reading?"

"I do," says GoGo, "on occasion. If it's interesting."

"Define interesting."

"Snappy dialogue, good amount of action—same goes for movies." She taps her fingers against the metallic surface of the car beneath her. "Okay, vanilla or chocolate?"

"Vanilla," Tadashi says without missing a beat, then winces when GoGo makes a small sound of outrage. "What, did I choose wrong?"

"Obviously," says GoGo. "Chocolate is clearly superior."

Tadashi's eyes widen. "Here's an idea—what if they _mixed_?"

"No can do, not for the purposes of this game. It's one or the other."

"You drive a hard bargain."

GoGo crosses her arms, a smile surfacing. "I do."

"Fine, then. I stand by my choice," grins Tadashi. "My turn: sunrises or sunsets?" He nods his chin slightly, indicating behind her.

GoGo turns to see that the sun has just started to peek over the horizon, the gray sky slowly bleeding into pink and orange. She looks back to find the morning light reflected in Tadashi's warm brown eyes. His gaze is focused over her shoulder, watching the sun come up, but his attention returns to her as he waits for an answer.

Last night feels like a distant memory, in this moment, a shadow that fades when held up to the light. And this moment will fade, too; GoGo will go home and so will Tadashi and they'll probably never see each other again, because San Fransokyo is a huge city.

But even so. Here they are in the early morning air, two strangers meeting for the first time. After that, it's anyone's guess. And GoGo isn't looking for a rebound, but she could sure use a friend.

"Sunrises," GoGo says. "I've always liked beginnings."

Tadashi beams. "Me, too."


	10. getting physical

**A/N: ***sobs* how did I write 4000+ words about this scenario? NO ONE KNOWS

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><p>Scenario: <em>team-teaching!AU<em>

* * *

><p>San Fransokyo Preparatory School is known for three things: its beautiful campus, its small class sizes, and its science program.<p>

Thus every fall, Leiko Tanaka ("GoGo," to her friends and colleagues) makes the trip up the tidy white steps and through the shiny glass doors to her classroom, where her eighteen students for the coming year wait. Already, they have made themselves at home, voices tumbling over each other as they talk about their summers. In the corner, two boys have turned their desks around so they can play a game of finger soccer, flicking a tiny ball of paper between themselves, while the girl beside them has started organizing the contents of her pencil pouch.

GoGo drops her bag at her feet and powers on her computer. And then she sits and waits.

Sure enough, the bell rings, sending everyone scrambling back into his or her seat. As the dull roar simmers down, GoGo walks to the front of the class, where she crosses her arms and announces, "Welcome to high school."

The kids in the front row fidget. One girl folds and unfolds the hem of her skirt.

"The rules are simple: respect me and I'll respect you. We'll start with names."

The students all introduce themselves. Myla has pink braces and wears her hair in two long braids; Eric has a perpetually startled look to him; Jonah and Carl are going to have to be separated. Jordan has a lisp, Kim has an impressive collection of highlighters, and Minji rolls her eyes whenever Darryl speaks. Steve turns bright red whenever anyone of the opposite gender so much as looks at him and Areya dishes out a mean stink-eye; Waverly prefers everyone call him "Jones," Serafina is trying to hide the fantasy book she's reading in her lap, and Patrick would like his hat back from Franny, who at this point is either terrorizing him or flirting with him. Nikola and Geraldine have matching tennis shoes and have mastered the art of telepathy. Meanwhile, Pietro has perfect posture and watches GoGo attentively, ignoring the rubber band that Kyle keeps shooting at his back.

As far as personalities go, this isn't the rowdiest bunch she's had. And the question isn't whether she'll make it through the year, but whether _they _will.

"Welcome to Physics. You can call me Miss Tanaka. Now, before we start—"

GoGo is interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Come in," she says, already anticipating who it will be.

Tadashi Hamada's head pops through the door. "Permission to enter, ma'am?" he asks with an easy grin. A few giggles ring out from the hallway behind him, and GoGo resists the urge to roll her eyes—of _course_ Tadashi has already befriended his batch of kids. They're probably all gathered outside in a neat line, like a group of ducklings following their mother.

"Knock yourself out," she answers.

Tadashi opens the door wider, directing his students toward the back of the room before he shuts the door and joins GoGo at the front.

"How's it feel to be back?" he asks, hands shoved in his pockets as he leans sideways to speak to her while keeping an eye on the class.

"Ask me fifty minutes from now for a more accurate assessment," says GoGo. "I'm guessing you're doing the honors?"

"It would be my pleasure," says Tadashi, before he raises his voice to address the back row: "Careful not to knock into the equipment, guys!" Once all the students seem settled, Tadashi launches into his speech. "All right, so, for those of you who don't know, I'm Mr. Hamada, the other physics teacher. The reason you all are together right now is because Miss Tanaka and I," here, Tadashi gestures between him and GoGo, "are a team. On a day-to-day basis, you'll be in separate physics classes, but we'll be doing labs as a large group. Which means that yes, you can have a lab partner from the other class. Also, if you ever need help, both Miss Tanaka and I can address any and all questions since we'll be giving the same assignments and covering the same material."

GoGo studies Tadashi's profile as he speaks. His face, as always, is lit up, and GoGo knows that by the end of the period at least a third of the girls will leave the room with giant crushes on him, due largely to a combination of Tadashi's relentlessly good cheer and the well-fitting short-sleeved dress shirts that he insists on wearing. They've been doing this together for three years now, and Tadashi always gets a flood of gifts around Christmastime. GoGo would be jealous if she weren't so amused.

A loud crash from the back of room jolts her from her thoughts. Jonah and Carl look up, wide-eyed, as the tower they were assembling from everyone's binders topples to the floor.

"Ah, and there's our first lesson," Tadashi says, catching GoGo's eye and winking. "Gravity."

o.O.o

A week into school, they have their first joint lab.

"Listen up, because I'm only going to say this once," GoGo begins, climbing onto a chair so her voice can better carry to the back of the room. She goes on to explain the procedure while Tadashi weaves between each group, handing out supplies. The two of them have different approaches; GoGo leaves the kids to their own devices, trusting them to have the courage to come to her for help, while Tadashi is always an arms-length away, making sure they understand every step. It's a system that's worked well so far.

Suddenly, someone screams. It's Emmaline, one of Tadashi's kids.

"What is it?" asks Tadashi, darting around the table to get to her.

"Sp-_spider_!" shrieks Emmaline, practically clawing at the people around her to get away. The other kids have caught sight of it and begin to clutch each other and gasp; Waverly clambers onto a desk.

"It's all right, everyone," soothes Tadashi, "it's just a—_that is a really big spider._" His face pales and he glances over his shoulder at GoGo, a pleading look in his eyes.

GoGo rolls her eyes. _What a sissy._ "I'll handle it," she says, moving down the aisle. Tadashi has already started herding kids out of the way. The rest of the group parts for her like the Red Sea until she's staring down her eight-legged foe.

And okay, the spider _is_ pretty big; its body is about the size of an eraser, its legs adding about another inch to its length and width. GoGo crouches down, sizing up her opponent, the students gathered around her as if she's in the middle of a boxing ring.

"I'm going to need a container and some cardboard," she announces. Good old Pietro sets off to do her bidding, passing the materials to Tadashi, who in turn passes them to GoGo.

"Anything else?" Tadashi asks, swallowing nervously. His presence is warm beside her, his brown eyes trained on the spider.

"You can bail out now," GoGo teases. "The kids are just as scared as you are; no one's going to call you chicken."

Tadashi shoots her a relieved smile, patting her on the shoulder before he stands up and puts as much distance as he can between him and the spider, which has remained motionless.

"All right, big guy," GoGo mutters, readying her tools, "here we go."

She creeps toward it. The whole class seems to hold its breath, watching her approach. GoGo's never heard them be so quiet before.

The next few moments happen in a flash. Someone—_"Darryl!"_—sneezes, startling the spider into action. GoGo's arm comes down, lightning-fast ("_Holy shit!_" Kyle says in awe), trapping it. She sweeps the cardboard square under the container, lifting the spider into the air, its legs tapping against the plastic walls. Tadashi rushes to open the door, and all of them file out into the hallway and outside of the building. GoGo feels like she's leading some kind of procession.

She sets it free in the grass, watching its thin legs scuttle away with a shudder.

And then the clapping starts. Tadashi leads the applause as the students swarm around her, hailing her as their savior.

"All right, all right—that's enough, everyone," she says, holding up her hands, though she can't help the fond smile that creeps up her face. "Get back to class."

Tadashi hangs back in the doorway waiting for her as the children filter back indoors.

"I think you might have me beat as coolest teacher, now," he says as they walk down the hallway, the door swinging shut behind them.

GoGo tilts her head. "Threatened?"

Tadashi laughs. "No, I'm with the rest of them. You're my hero, GoGo."

GoGo snorts. "_Some_one needed to come to your rescue."

"Hey." Tadashi points a finger at her. "You promised you wouldn't call me a chicken."

"I promised the _kids_ wouldn't."

"Knew it. There's always a catch with you."

"Let's just make sure they finish this lab," GoGo says, rolling her eyes and shoving him lightly in his side as they reenter the classroom.

She doesn't catch the sly look that Myla and Kim exchange.

o.O.o

"Guess what I heard," Honey Lemon sings as she waltzes through the doors of the teacher's break room, sidling up to the coffee machine.

"What?" mumbles GoGo around the muffin she's stuffed in her mouth.

"Our dear Wasabi is dating Ava, from the history department," Honey Lemon discloses, dumping a packet of cream into her coffee and stirring. She slides into the stool across from GoGo, tucking some of her blonde hair behind an ear and waits, expectantly, for GoGo's reaction.

"You're sure?"

"Positive as a proton!"

"We're talking about the same Wasabi here, right? The one who color codes his lesson plans and has to have all the desks in his classroom spaced perfectly apart?"

"The one and only," nods Honey Lemon. "It must drive him _nuts_, dating Ava! I mean, have you seen her file cabinets? They're practically exploding. Although," pauses Honey Lemon, tapping her lip, "his organization skills _would_ be put to good use with her."

"Is that…allowed?"

Honey Lemon shoots GoGo a strange look. "Organizing other people's cabinets?"

"No, Honey! Dating a colleague."

Honey frowns. "The administration hasn't said anything about it, so I guess not, as long as they can keep things professional during school hours. Besides," she says brightly, "attraction is one of the four fundamental forces of nature."

"Sure, Honey," GoGo says dryly.

"Anyways, it's nice to see that there's some hope of us balancing work with love," sighs Honey Lemon. "Speaking of which…" she eyes GoGo hopefully.

"No."

"Aw, come _on,_ GoGo!" complains Honey, pushing out her lower lip. "Nothing? Not even one measly little summer romance?"

"No."

"Well, how about one of my friends? I'm sure he'd be interested."

"No thank you, Honey," GoGo says firmly.

"But you're so eligible," Honey moans, slumping in her seat. Suddenly, she perks up, a new light in her eye. "Is it because you're holding out for someone?"

"What? No!"

"Ugh, fine," sniffs Honey Lemon. "I'll break you eventually."

"What are we threatening GoGo with?" Tadashi interjects smoothly, entering the break room.

"Nothing," Honey Lemon says quickly, picking up on GoGo's glare. She glances at her pink watch. "Oh, my chem class starts in ten minutes! See you all later!" She shoots GoGo a pointed look before hurrying out of the room.

Tadashi watches her go before exchanging a look with GoGo, one eyebrow raised in question.

"Did you know Wasabi and Ava are dating?" GoGo asks abruptly.

"Yeah, I heard about it," says Tadashi, leaning against the water machine. "Why?"

"No reason." GoGo shrugs. "Just seemed out of the blue, I guess."

"Nah, they'd been dancing around each other for a while," says Tadashi, stirring his tea. "One of them just needed to work up the courage to ask."

"Would you date someone from work?" GoGo asks, brushing the crumbs on the table together into a pile.

She hears a choking sound and looks up to find Tadashi pounding his chest with a fist, red-faced. "Sorry," he croaks, holding up his cup of tea in explanation. "Went down the wrong pipe." He rubs his mouth with the back of his hand, face still a faint pink from embarrassment. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I asked if you'd date someone from work," GoGo repeats, and she doesn't know why but suddenly her face feels warm, too.

"Oh. Well," says Tadashi, eyes dropping to the cup in his hands, "I mean, I wouldn't…it's not _impossible._"

"But it's impractical, right?" says GoGo, rushing to fill in the silence.

"Well, I mean…" Tadashi hesitates, studying her carefully. "Yeah, I guess."

"Okay," nods GoGo.

She got the answer she was pushing for, so why does she feel so disappointed?

o.O.o

"So if we plug in time into this equation, then we can calculate—"

"Excuse me, Miss Tanaka?"

"Yes, Myla?"

"Mr. Hamada's standing outside."

"What?" GoGo crosses the room to her door, opening it to find Tadashi. "Do you need something?"

"Sorry," says Tadashi, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you have an extra teacher's edition? I can't seem to find mine."

"Just a second," says GoGo, walking back into her room. On the way to her bookshelf, she snaps, "Put your phone away, Kyle."

"Thanks," says Tadashi when GoGo hands him a copy. "You're a lifesaver."

o.O.o

"Hey, GoGo, do you have a pair of scissors?"

"Here."

"Hey, sorry to interrupt, but do you have an extra calculator? Manuel forgot his at home."

"Yeah, hold on, it's in my drawer somewhere."

"Can we have one of your tissue boxes? Something's in the air and the kids are sneezing like crazy."

"Grab one from my storage closet."

"Looks like you and I got saddled with chaperone duty for the dance tonight, huh?"

"_Just kiss already!"_ someone shouts from the back row.

GoGo whirls, face flaming red. "Be quiet and sit down!"

o.O.o

Before winter break arrives, GoGo sorts through her closet, trying to create more storage space for the projects the kids will ask her to keep safe for them in the coming semester. She has about two boxes full of mementoes: a model of Schrodinger's Cat that one of her students made, a Newton's cradle, some ping pong paddles from who-knows-what and the "Spider Slayer Shrine" that the kids created from popsicle sticks earlier in the year.

"Need some help?"

GoGo whirls around to find Tadashi watching her, eyes bright. He raises an eyebrow as he tries to peer over her shoulder at the contents of her closet. "Do you not turn on the lights in there?"

"Don't need to," says GoGo, handing him a yoyo that she confiscated from Billy, who left halfway through last year, before she could remember to return it. "I know where everything is."

"Uh-huh," Tadashi says, a little disbelievingly. He picks up the Spider Slayer Shrine, turning it over in his hands. "This is pretty nifty."

"Don't you have your own things to take care of?"

"They're already packed up nice and neat in my car."

GoGo raises an eyebrow. "Even the teddy bear?"

"I drew the line at the teddy bear," Tadashi winces.

"Carla's really in love with you, huh?" GoGo observes, tossing the last of her items into the second box.

"She's fifteen," Tadashi says, scooping up the heavier box. "She'll get over it." He tilts his head toward the door. "Shall we go?"

Outside, the chill air seeps into GoGo's skin, nipping at her nose. Some of the kids are hanging out on the field, still waiting for their parents to pick them up, and they call out as she and Tadashi walk by, wishing them "happy holidays" and a "wonderful winter break." In the parking lot, GoGo sets her box down, rummaging in her purse for her key.

The sun is bright despite the cold, sunshine bouncing off the thin layer of frost that covers the grass nearby. GoGo opens the trunk and she and Tadashi slide the boxes in before they turn to watch the kids chasing each other across the field, slipping and sliding and laughing loudly.

"Halfway through," announces GoGo.

"Yeah," sighs Tadashi, his elbow bumping against hers as he settles beside her. "Are you doing anything over the break?"

"Enjoying the peace and quiet, mostly. Family's visiting. What about you?"

"I'll be spending it with my brother and aunt," says Tadashi. "Also, grading papers."

GoGo groans. "Don't remind me."

"We could do it together," Tadashi offers easily. "Call me up. We'll go get coffee and be miserable together."

GoGo laughs, but the sound catches in her throat when Tadashi turns to her and she realizes that he's serious. "Okay," she swallows. "Sure."

He's still looking at her.

"What?" demands GoGo, a tiny bit of anxiety surfacing.

"Eyelash," explains Tadashi, tapping his cheek. GoGo reaches up, swiping her finger across her right cheekbone.

"Did I get it?"

Tadashi shakes his head. "Here, I've got it," he says, voice unusually soft as he reaches over and runs a thumb along her cheek. His touch is gentle, and GoGo closes her eyes without meaning to.

She chalks up her involuntary shiver to the cold.

"There," Tadashi finally says, satisfied. He holds it up, a tiny, fragile black sliver against his skin. "Make a wish."

GoGo rolls her eyes but humors him, thinks up a quick _let it snow _before she blows it off his finger.

"I'd better get going," she says, drawing her coat tighter around herself as she steps back. Immediately, she feels colder—San Fransokyo weather is weird that way.

"Me too," Tadashi says, shoving his hands in his pocket. "See you around," he smiles, and something warm pools in her stomach, like a sip of hot chocolate.

"See you," GoGo agrees, giving him the tiniest smile back.

o.O.o

On the first day back from break, Nikola and Geraldine approach GoGo's desk wearing twin Cheshire-cat grins.

"Yes?" she frowns, eyeing them warily.

The girls look at each other, some kind of secret conversation occurring between them (again, it's the whole telepathy thing) before Nikola finally bursts out, "Are you and Mr. Hamada dating?"

GoGo blinks, taken aback. "_What?_"

"We saw you in the parking lot," Geraldine confides. "On the last day of school."

"It looked really romantic," gushes Nikola. "You two were standing super close to each other, against your car, and then he reached up and touched your face—"

"_Duuuude,_ I remember that!" says Jonah, sliding into his seat (which just so happens to be closest to her desk, because she had to keep an eye on him somehow). "Mr. Hamada was making a _move._"

"Oh, are we talking about Miss Tanaka's love life?" asks Myla, clapping her hands. "Seriously, you and Mr. Hamada would be so cute together!"

GoGo's mouth opens and closes. Oh, no. No _way_ is she having this conversation with a bunch of teenagers with overactive imaginations.

"Ten bucks they get together by the end of the year," Carl pitches in.

Kyle shudders. "Ewww, _gross_."

Okay. That is _enough._

"There is nothing going on between me and Mr. Hamada!" GoGo says, surging to her feet. "Now all of you sit down so we can start the lesson!"

_Denial,_ Myla mouths to Kim.

o.O.o

"_Happy birthday!"_

GoGo jumps almost a foot in the air as a cacophony of noise bursts from her classroom. The kids—all thirty-six of them—emerge from under desks and behind tables, waving noisemakers and party poppers. Someone has hung a banner from the ceiling, and its border is decorated with signatures.

"How did you know?" she asks, wide-eyed, as Emmaline walks up to her holding—a _cake?_

"Mr. Hamada told us," says Emmaline, handing her the fruitcake, which is adorned with plenty of pineapple, her favorite—also due to Tadashi, GoGo guesses.

Sure enough, Tadashi catches her eye over Emmaline's head. He has some confetti stuck in his hair and his face is split in a huge grin.

"Thanks," GoGo mumbles, accepting the gift, her gaze swinging across the whole room. "_All_ of you."

"Miss Tanaka's blushing!" someone hoots, and the whole class starts to cheer. GoGo rolls her eyes, but she lets them have this moment.

o.O.o

Spring fever at San Fransokyo Preparatory School is named not, as one might guess, because of allergy season, but rather because of the relationships that tear through the student body with an alarming rapidity, like—well, an infection.

Already, GoGo has had to mediate two break-ups (one freshman-junior relationship, in particular, took an ugly turn), and has also had to chase two kids out from her classroom (seriously, why would anyone think a lab is a good place to canoodle? The whole place smells like disinfectant).

Needless to say, by the time 6:00 rolls around, she's exhausted, and she's also still at school because she hit a stride with grading and feels like moving will disrupt her momentum. She's taken over Myla's usual seat—front and center, smack dab in front of the Smart Board—and has her papers stacked on the desk beside her.

And then Tadashi comes in holding a bouquet of flowers.

GoGo looks up, horrified. "Oh, don't tell me it's got you, too."

"What?" Tadashi stares back at her, startled.

GoGo gestures to the flowers. "Did another girl proclaim her undying love for you? A lot of the eligible bachelors their age are getting snapped up. They're starting to get desperate."

The tips of Tadashi's ears turn red. "Oh, no. These are…these are for you."

"Oh—wait, _what?_"

Tadashi sighs, setting the flowers down on an empty desk. "Look, over the course of this week I've spent more time helping people with their relationships than their homework, and since most of it went along the lines of 'just suck it up and tell her how you feel,' I figured it was time to take my own advice."

He crosses the room to stand in front of her, placing a hand on either side of the desk as he leans forward, tie swinging between them. "I really like you, GoGo. It's okay if you don't feel the same; I promise I won't bother you about it. But I just need to know."

His face is close, so close, brown eyes waiting for an answer. GoGo gulps. Her heart is hammering in her chest, and she wonders if this is how Tadashi's students feel when he puts them on the spot. Unbidden, Honey Lemon's words from the beginning of the year rush to the front of her mind: _attraction is one of the four fundamental forces of nature._

Does she like Tadashi? She's never thought about it before—but no, that's not right, either, because she has. When they're walking down the hallways side by side and his eyes are crinkled in laughter and the sun is streaming through the windows…and she's always noticed the way he talks with his hands, and how he didn't talk down to Carla when she came to him in tears because she didn't understand the unit, and how the boys could easily make fun of him behind his back but they don't because they respect him—no, more than that, they actually like him—

Tadashi's face shutters in response to her silence and he begins to pull back, nodding. "Okay, I understand."

"No, you don't," GoGo says, grabbing his tie to stop him from leaving, and because she's always been better with actions than with words, she surges up and kisses him.

Tadashi stiffens in surprise at first, but then he relaxes into her touch, one hand coming up to gently cradle the back of her head. He pulls her closer to him; GoGo is struggling to rise out of her seat and finally manages to get her knees under herself. She's practically falling over the table, but Tadashi steadies her by bringing his other arm around her waist and GoGo balances herself with a hand on his shoulder, her other one still tangled in his tie.

She feels flushed, feverish. The line of Tadashi's shoulder is broad and strong underneath her hand, and as much as she appreciates the fit of his shirt, she'd appreciate it even more if it were _off_—

Tadashi chuckles, breaking off their kiss and catching GoGo's hands, which have started to mess with the top button of his collar, completely without her telling them to. GoGo stares at them, wide-eyed and slightly fascinated by her total loss of control. _Get a grip, GoGo._

"You haven't even let me ask you out yet," he says, squeezing her hands and peering into her eyes. GoGo can feel his pulse beneath her fingertips and takes some comfort in knowing that her heart isn't the only one that's kicked into overdrive.

"Okay. Ask me out," she says, lifting her chin in challenge.

Tadashi smiles. "Will you go out with me, Miss Tanaka?"

"Yes."

"Will you keep letting me interrupt your class at random intervals just so I can see you?"

"_That's_ what you were doing?"

Tadashi laughs loudly. "Clearly, it wasn't as effective as I'd hoped."

"No, it's just…wait." GoGo frowns. "You said dating a colleague was impractical."

"Only because you said it first," says Tadashi. "And anyways, gravitation cannot be held responsible for people falling in love."

GoGo stares at him incredulously. "Are you seriously quoting Einstein at me right now?"

"Are you objecting?"

"Just shut up and kiss me again, Hamada," she says, curling her fingers in his collar.

"Your wish is my command," replies Tadashi, pressing a kiss to her temple. He places one on her cheek, next, then against her jaw, and then rests his forehead against hers, mouth hovering dangerously close to hers but still not touching.

"You're doing this all wrong," huffs GoGo.

"So then," starts Tadashi, leaning forward so that his lips brush warmly against the shell of her ear, _"teach_ me."

As far as lessons go, it's a pretty great one.


	11. brighter than sunshine

**A/N: **the camp counselor AU that nobody asked for but which I wrote anyways because SO MANY FEELINGS ABOUT THE TEAM AS CAMP COUNSELORS MY GOODNESS. also, in case you couldn't tell, I'm not ready to say goodbye to summer D:

sidenote: the age gap between Hiro and Tadashi is wider in this; I imagined Hiro as thirteen and Tadashi as 19-20, so.

additional sidenote: I don't say this nearly enough but I want all of you to know that I appreciate everyone who has been reading, following, favoriting and reviewing so, so much. Your comments make my day, and I promise that I read all of your suggestions, so don't be afraid to keep leaving prompts; I know it might seem like I'm not responding to them but that's mostly because I tend to get sidetracked/distracted by my own ideas, but you all are still a _huge_ source of inspiration for me, and you never know what might send me off on a 4000+ word rampage. :P anyhowww this is getting long but the gist of it is that I LOVE YOU GUYS SO YEAH.

* * *

><p>Scenario: <em>camp counselor AU<em>

* * *

><p>Everything is on fire.<p>

His ankle burns from the ant pile he stepped in earlier today and he has a mosquito bite on his left arm, but Tadashi is mainly focused on the giant blaze in front of him. The heat radiating from it makes his eyes water; similar flames dance in his friends' eyes, their faces alight with anticipation.

Overlooking the giant bonfire, stone ledges spread out in rings. Kids cover every inch of every one of them, elbows digging into sides, knees knocking against each other, all staring down at the stage, where he and his fellow counselors are lined up. A hundred pairs of eyes trained on them. A hundred heads to keep track of.

Beside him, Fred tosses a log into the fire, sending the blaze roaring higher as he steps forward.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, brace yourselves, for you have entered the point of no return…welcome to Camp Big Hero!" He makes a sweeping gesture toward the audience, throwing his arms out wide. "Let me hear you say A-HOO-HA."

"A-hoo-ha!"

"A-HOO-HA."

"A-HOO-HA!"

"That's what I'm talking about," says Fred, grinning, before he motions for Honey Lemon to join him up front. "Now, everyone must take a side. Marvel versus Capcom. Batman versus Superman. Iron Man versus—"

"Fred," hisses Wasabi. "Stick to the schedule."

"Right, man, right. Anyways, camp here will be the same. There will be bonding, but there will be bloodshed. Your tribe is your team, your family, and only one tribe wins the—" he pauses for effect, "—Golden Baymax."

At this, Honey Lemon holds the statue up, its round body and bulbous head gleaming in the firelight.

"Only one tribe gets to put their flag on the hill!" continues Fred, raising his voice to speak over the whooping and hollering. "So which tribe are you going to be in?" He beckons to GoGo. "List?"

GoGo holds up a sheet of paper while Fred leads the campers in a drumroll. The sound seems to come out of the forest itself, a rhythm as old as thunder.

"Tribe Eureka," starts GoGo, a faint smile on her lips. "Anna Bowen, Maria Connelly, Darren Crest, Hiro Hamada…"

And as the noise swells and the fire crackles and pops, Tadashi's voice joins the fray, welcoming the new campers into the fold.

o.O.o

"How was your first night?" Tadashi asks the next morning, slipping into line behind Hiro and pointedly dropping some honeydew onto his younger brother's plate.

Hiro shoots him a reproachful look but accepts it. "Fun. Except Wasabi is _really_ strict about the everybody-in-bed-lights-out rule."

Tadashi chuckles. "That sounds like him."

"Yeah, so Frank and I had to put our game of Speed on hold, but we're having a rematch tonight—"

"Hey, Hiro," says GoGo, appearing at Tadashi's right side. "Ready to kick some butt today?"

"You bet," says Hiro, reaching across Tadashi to fist bump GoGo. "It's going to be awesome. Tribe Geronimo's going _down._" He shoots Tadashi a sly grin and sticks his tongue out at him before hurrying over to the hash browns.

Tadashi watches his brother's departure, mouth open slightly in disbelief, before turning to GoGo. "Really?"

"What?" she asks innocently, stealing a piece of bacon from his plate.

"It's 8:30 and you're already plotting!"

"That's why my tribe always wins," says GoGo, nudging him forward. "Keep moving. Those muffins are going to get cold."

"Wait, that's not even true," protests Tadashi, blocking GoGo from taking another one of his bacon strips. "We won last session, or are you just conveniently forgetting the Geronimo flag flying up on the hill right now?"

GoGo's expression darkens. "That was a fluke," she says. "It won't happen again."

"GoGo!" Honey Lemon materializes from out of nowhere, hooking an arm around both Tadashi and GoGo to draw them closer to her side. "And Tadashi! _Goooood _morning."

"You're squishing me, Honey," mumbles GoGo, but she squeezes her friend back affectionately in greeting.

Honey Lemon releases them and steps back, ponytail bouncing. "Ready for canoe-racing? I gave my girls a pep talk last night; they're _super_ excited."

"So are mine," says GoGo, adjusting the bandana tied around her wrist.

"Okay, why doesn't Honey get trash-talked? She's a Geronimo, too," complains Tadashi.

GoGo and Honey Lemon exchange a look.

"Oh, Tadashi," Honey says finally, reaching out and pinching his cheek lightly, "Keep trying."

With that said, she and GoGo turn on their heels and sail away, leaving Tadashi to roll his eyes as he reaches for a blueberry muffin.

_Unbelievable._

o.O.o

The brim of his baseball cap shades his eyes as Tadashi watches the fleet of yellow canoes approach. He's starting to regret lending Hiro his water bottle earlier, since his throat is parched from shouting encouragement right now. Honey Lemon and Fred sit in their boats at the other end of the river, cheering on the campers paddling furiously toward GoGo and Tadashi.

After the earlier excursion down the river, many of the campers opted to head over to the rope swing manned by Wasabi in order to give their rowing arms a break. Those that remain, however, are determined to secure a victory for their tribe. Competition is stiff; hulls jostle and scrape against each other as they fight for position, and friends fling water in each other's faces in desperate attempts to get ahead. Eric and Matthew, two of Fred's kids, sacrifice their boat to herd Martha and Jeanie toward the riverbank, opening up a lane for Chad and Adheer (two of Tadashi's) to slip through.

Not everyone is so invested in the contest, though. Sarah and Tsukiko are more caught up by the breeze sweeping over the water, and as the wind picks up, Sarah sets down her paddle and clambers to her feet unsteadily, holding her arms out and closing her eyes.

Tadashi sees the next moment before it really happens.

"Watch out!" he warns, at the same time Honey yells, "Sarah, sit down!" Sarah's eyes fly open as someone rams into the back of her boat, sending her wobbling sideways—

_Splash!_

Tadashi dives into the water on instinct; his strokes bring him to Sarah, who has just popped back to the surface, bobbing in her bright orange lifejacket. She spits water out of her mouth, shaking the hair out of her face.

"You okay?" asks Tadashi, treading water in front of her.

"F-fine," nods Sarah. "The water—it's warmer than I thought it'd be."

"Nice, huh?" says Tadashi, reaching up to grip the edge of the canoe where Tsukiko sits, looking worried but also as if she'd like to jump in as well. "Unfortunately, swimming is scheduled for later, so—up you go."

Sarah nods in understanding, swimming forward in preparation to haul herself back onto the boat. She gets her elbows over it before grimacing, turning back to Tadashi red-faced, unable to meet his gaze.

"I need help."

"I got you," says Tadashi, sneaking a glance over his shoulder at GoGo, who watches the whole exchange with amusement. He turns his attention back to Sarah, letting her use his shoulder for support and keeping the boat steady as Tsukiko reaches forward to grab Sarah's arms. After making sure the two of them are settled, he slips back under the water and pulls himself back into his own boat, his wet shorts making a squelching sound as he sits down.

"Nice save there, Aquaman," GoGo says, passing him her canteen. Tadashi takes a swig of water from it gratefully; he can already feel the sun warming his back, drying out his shirt.

"All in a day's work, right?" he grins, handing the bottle back.

GoGo unscrews the cap and brings it to her mouth next, lips coming away from it with an _ah!_ before she finally echoes, "All in a day's work," and reaches for her paddle, dragging it through the water with a swooping arc that splashes him from head to shoulders.

Tadashi blinks at her in shock, water dripping from his hair into his eyes, before reaching for his own weapon.

"Oh, you're _so_ on."

o.O.o

"SNEAK ATTACK!"

Fred barrels out of nowhere, grabbing the camper nearest him—Matthew—and tossing him in the pool.

"It's not a sneak attack if you announce it," says Wasabi, hitting _pause_ on the boombox, which has been blaring "U Can't Touch This." The campers around him shift away warily, uncertain if they will be the next ones to be unceremoniously dumped in the pool.

Off to the side, Lizzie shrieks as she hits the water with an undignified splash; GoGo stands over her, arms crossed as she smirks. Tadashi grins—no one ever suspects GoGo because of how small she is, a fact that she uses fully to her advantage.

Fred ducks out of the grip of two eleven-year-old boys who have tried unsuccessfully to push him closer to the edge.

"Uh uh uh," he says, waving a finger. "It's going to take more than _that _to take me down!"

Meanwhile, Lizzie's friends have joined her in the pool of their own volition, and they turn their full charm on GoGo now, begging, "_Please_ come in with us?"

GoGo shakes her head.

Quietly, Tadashi slips away from Wasabi's side. GoGo can protest all she wants, but he knows that she has her bathing suit on underneath her clothes. They all do; the water is too inviting to resist. As he sneaks up behind her, Lizzie catches sight of him—Tadashi winks, bringing a finger up to his lips.

Lizzie nods, a grin threatening to overtake her face.

"What are you looking at—"

GoGo turns around just in time for Tadashi to hook his arms around her legs and hoist her over his shoulder. The good thing about GoGo is that she's light; the bad thing is that she'll do whatever it takes to get free.

"Don't you dare," she gasps, hammering his back with her fists.

Tadashi takes the beating stalwartly, making a show of surveying the pool. "Now, should I put you down at this end or—_ow_!" he yelps as GoGo graduates to tugging his hair and trying to wrap her elbow around his throat.

"You're so dead to me, Hamada," she hisses. "_So. Dead."_

"Well, in that case…" He takes a step forward, plunging both of them into the pool. GoGo finally manages to get away from him; she breaks the surface with a murderous glare, her purple streak of hair darkened by the water. Around her, the girls cheer, and GoGo manages to hold her peeved expression for only a few seconds longer before she rolls her eyes and gives in.

"Cannonball!" shrieks Honey Lemon, the bandana she has tied around her neck like an ascot bouncing as she takes a running leap, drawing her knees to her chest. Wasabi hits the _play_ button on the boombox again and helps two boys shove Fred into the pool before he jumps in himself, and Tadashi seeks out Hiro in the melee, who makes a thumbs-up sign at him, grinning widely.

o.O.o

"_Oh the moose put his foot put his foot on the ground—"_

"Okay, kids, I love you, but I _really hate that song_," Wasabi yells from the back. It's Sunday, time for the traditional afternoon hike, and the pain in Wasabi's voice indicates that he'd rather be back at the main campsite running the arts and crafts station like he usually does. Tadashi watches him adjust the burnt orange bandana over his head and pull a hand towel from his bag, which he uses to wipe the sweat from his brow. Tadashi's own bandana is wrapped around his upper left arm, a detail that has been noted and copied by many of the boys in his cabin.

Meanwhile, Fred jumps from rock to rock, pointing out different bugs with his stick. It's a struggle to get the kids to just follow him in a straight line instead of trying to imitate his movements; Wasabi repeatedly shouts at anyone who does so, reminding them that they'll "_probably end up with a twisted ankle and then who has to carry you down the trail and by the way did I mention that I really don't like spiders?"_

Honey stops them periodically, insisting firmly that everyone hydrates and eats a snack. The crunching of granola bars and trail mix fills the air, mingling with the sound of cicadas, and Tadashi tilts his head back, admiring the way the sunlight filters through the leaves.

After the short break, they're off again. Anticipation builds in Tadashi's stomach when they finally pass the Reindeer Tree. Fred clears his throat and tosses his stick aside, rounding on the group and gesturing to the clearing behind him.

"At last, ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived!"

Silence. The kids shift from side to side, craning their necks and whispering, "What is it…?"

"Ah, I see a demonstration is in order. Honey Lemon?"

Honey Lemon shrugs off her backpack and steps past Fred, bending down. She comes back up with her hands full of brown goo, waving them in the air. Scanning the crowd, her eyes fall on Tadashi, and he barely has time to think, _oh, no, _before the clump sails over his head and hits Wasabi's chest.

"Mud fight!"

"Yuck!" someone grimaces, but most of the other kids quickly follow Honey's example, stepping out of their shoes and socks and leaving the bags behind. A few guys take off their shirts, setting them gently on top of their packs, but the majority of campers rush straight into the fray, desperate for some relief from the heat, no matter how dirty it might appear.

Tadashi slides down the bank, the mud slimy between his toes. A ring is already forming; as he gets closer, he sees that Mika and Alexander have rolled around in the mud so that they're covered completely and are now locked in a mud-wrestling fight, slipping and sliding as each tries to gain the advantage.

His peaceful spectating ends, however, when a clump of mud hits the side of his face, some of it splattering into his ear. Tadashi turns to find GoGo already armed with another handful, her other hand resting on her hip. Her eyes are bright with a challenge, and Tadashi keeps his eyes trained on her as he bends slowly to scoop up some mud of his own, something coiling in his gut.

He starts forward. GoGo lifts her chin slightly, daring him to get closer. No one's paying much attention to them—everyone is too transfixed by the showdown between Mika and Alexander—and Tadashi thinks that if he could just get her backed up against the tree over there…

A figure tackles him from out of nowhere, legs locked around his waist. Tadashi staggers, tries to fight his attacker's momentum, and fails, mud flying everywhere as he falls backward. Winded, he looks up—

"_Hiro._"

"Gotcha, big bro," gloats Hiro, the small gap between his two front teeth seeming to widen as he looms closer. He drops a clod of mud on Tadashi's face with an undignified _splat._

Footsteps. Hiro sits on Tadashi's stomach, pinning him down, but Tadashi can still see GoGo approach. He watches her high-five his brother before bending over him, her head framed by the blue sky as she smirks.

"Payback."

o.O.o

"Tadashi?" A girl's voice, breath warm in his ear. Someone nudges his shoulder.

Groggily, Tadashi opens his eyes, staring at the wall in front of him before he slowly shifts around, his blanket tangling around his waist. He blinks a few times to clear the sleep from his eyes, running a hand through his hair as he sits up.

"GoGo? What are you doing here?"

"Cravings," she explains, crossing her arms, her figure a shadowy silhouette in the dim lighting. "Fred told me you had a stash."

"Of…?"

"Chocolate, idiot." She rolls her eyes. "Hand it over."

Tadashi sighs, throwing the covers to the side as he swings his legs around, feet meeting the cool wooden floorboards. "Fine, fine." _Dammit, Fred, _he internally curses. At this rate, he'll run out before the session is over.

GoGo watches him as he surreptitiously unzips his luggage and digs around under his clothes. All around them, the boys sleep peacefully, chests rising and falling, Aston's reedy inhalations punctuating the air.

"Here," he says, holding a bar of dark chocolate up in the air.

GoGo takes it, already tearing into the wrapper as she sits on his bed. Tadashi gets up to join her, his mattress sinking slightly under their combined weight.

"You got another bracelet," he observes, touching her wrist lightly. The plastic beads are warm from their proximity to her skin.

"From Clara," explains GoGo, turning it back and forth to admire it. "Honey Lemon still has the most, though. Did you know Hiro gave his to her?" Her voice holds a hint of laughter.

"Kid has a crush," says Tadashi, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb the rest of the cabin. "He still thinks you're the coolest, though."

"Because I am," teases GoGo, voice soft to match his. She lifts her chin to indicate Martin, who is lying face down in his pillow across the room. "Does he always sleep like that?"

"Yes," whispers Tadashi. "I'm terrified he's going to suffocate, but when I tried to turn him over he nearly clawed my eyes out."

GoGo snorts.

"Do any of your girls have weird habits?" asks Tadashi.

"Lizzie talks in her sleep, which is how I know she likes Caleb."

"No way."

"Yep. Also, did Honey tell you that she wants us to do the Pie in the Face skit for tomorrow night?"

"Let me guess," sighs Tadashi. "I get to be the middle person."

GoGo grins.

"I'm always the middle person."

"It's because of how you look right before the pie hits you in the face," explains GoGo.

"And how is that?"

"Like you're profoundly disappointed with the world. Or like you're a kicked puppy."

Tadashi can't really argue with that, so he just watches GoGo break off another piece of her chocolate, mesmerized by the way she licks the leftover smears off her fingers. GoGo catches his eye while in the middle of cleaning off her pointer finger, and suddenly Tadashi is extremely aware of where his thigh presses against hers, the brush of her sleeve as he leans over, breath stirring her hair slightly in the stillness.

"GoGo—"

GoGo slips a square of chocolate in between his parted lips, her eyes dark, almost black. The piece is rich and velvety on his tongue as it starts to melt, and Tadashi chews it slowly, still staring at her; GoGo's gaze drops to his throat when he swallows, her eyes sparking.

"Not tonight," she whispers, pulling back.

"GoGo…" groans Tadashi, clutching the blanket beneath him in his fists to keep from reaching for her. The ghost of a smile crosses GoGo's face; the mattress rustles as she gets up, lingering in front of him for a moment before she takes her leave and slips out the cabin's doorway.

Tadashi has a hard time falling back asleep.

o.O.o

"Is there a reason you're naked in my bed?"

The flashlight beam hits him square in the face, making Tadashi flinch in his half-awake state. He hurries to throw the sleeping bag cover over his head but finds it ripped away from him instead, leaving him exposed in his boxers.

"What…" He squints in the glare as he tries to make sense of his surroundings. Just over the fuzzy edge of light, two faces sharpen out of the gloom: Honey Lemon, biting her lip to refrain from laughter even though her cheeks are pulled into a grin, and GoGo, smirking.

Dread hits him like a bucket of cold water. "This isn't…"

"Oh no, it is," GoGo finishes smugly, flicking the flashlight beam away from him and directing it to the corner, where Honey Lemon's pink sleeping bag acts as a neon sign screaming, _you're in the wrong tent._ GoGo rolls forward on the balls of her feet and pokes his shoulder. "You drunk or something?"

"No, just exhausted," mutters Tadashi, pushing himself into a sitting position even though every part of his body is screaming for him to close his eyes and go back to sleep, consequences be damned. He pats the ground beside him, frowning when his hands don't encounter wet cloth.

"Looking for these?" GoGo reaches behind her, holding up something that looks suspiciously like…his shorts.

Crap.

"Please don't do this," he says, swallowing. He really isn't equipped to deal with this right now. Campout Day (and Night) is something that the kids chatter about endlessly in the days leading up to it, and it takes constant vigilance to maintain order out here away from the buildings with their electricity and other comforts. He's been up since four in the morning because Chad thought it'd be a good idea to tell scary stories last night, which made Teddy wake up screaming when his blanket brushed the underside of his foot, and just an hour ago he had to fight through the blinding rain to help one of the kids put their tent back up.

Which is why he took his sopping wet clothes off. He doesn't normally sleep only in his boxers. Honest.

"Now, Honey, whatever will we do?" GoGo asks. "You know there's a rule about members of the opposite gender sneaking into each other's tents…"

"_GoGo."_

"_Tadashi,_" she parrots back, walking to the flap of the tent. She sticks her head out. "It's pretty dark out. Good thing we have a flashlight."

Tadashi turns his head toward Honey Lemon instead. "Honey, please…"

In response, Honey Lemon holds up her cellphone, showing the camera screen to him and winking.

Groaning, Tadashi resigns himself to his fate. He wills his body to turn to stone, hoping that will prevent the inevitable, but he knows better. Honey Lemon and GoGo are scarily strong when they need to be, and they haul him to his feet before pushing him outside, where GoGo points her flashlight at him like a spotlight.

"3…2…1…run, Tadashi!" cheers Honey Lemon as GoGo wakes up the whole camp with a loud, _"Hey, is that a deer in the middle of the campsite?" _and Tadashi takes off sprinting, GoGo's flashlight beam chasing him all the way to his tent.

o.O.o

The air is tense. Two people stare each other down from opposite sides of a log, their eyebrows furrowed in concentration. Slowly, GoGo reaches for the bag of jumbo marshmallows by her feet.

Hushed whispers sweep through the crowd.

"She's not gonna do it…"

"There's no way…"

The marshmallow goes past her lips, straining against her already bulging cheeks.

"'hubbeh bunneh."

The audience goes wild. Hiro spits out the marshmallows in his mouth, looking slightly queasy as Fred proclaims, "_Winner!"_ while pointing to GoGo, who manages to look triumphant even with her cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk's. With the competition over, Honey Lemon begins ripping open the other bags of marshmallows, handing out skewers and chocolate and graham crackers. The kids swarm around Wasabi, whose attention to detail has made him the go-to guy for a perfect S'more.

Meanwhile, Tadashi spears a marshmallow and heads over to GoGo, plopping down on the space beside her.

"Congratulations, defending champ," he says, bumping her with his shoulder.

"Thanks," she says, mouth no longer full.

Fred takes out his banjo and starts strumming. It takes a moment for them to recognize the melody, but soon everyone is singing, "_Oh, Susanna, now don't you cry for me." _Tadashi watches Lizzie scoot closer to Caleb; he nudges GoGo, who smiles knowingly.

As they transition into "Home on the Range," Tadashi rotates his skewer over the fire, careful to let the marshmallow cook evenly. Once it's finished, he sandwiches it between two graham crackers and slips it off, handing it to GoGo, who bites into it before resting her head against his shoulder with a small sound of appreciation.

Tadashi ducks his head to hide his smile. As he reaches for another marshmallow, however, he realizes that the people around him have gone strangely quiet. When he looks up, he finds Fred squinting at him and GoGo.

"Wait…is it just me or…"

"GoGo's fraternizing with the enemy!" shouts one of her campers.

GoGo jerks away from Tadashi, the momentary peace broken. "It's not like—we're still _friends,_" she justifies, cheeks reddening slightly as she glances at him in an appeal for backup.

"Yeah," flounders Tadashi, "we're—"

"_Best_ friends," interjects Honey Lemon, swooping in between them (seriously, how does she do that?). She waves Wasabi and Fred over, handing her phone to Chloe and asking, "Take a picture of us, please!"

Wasabi and Fred get into place on either side of Honey Lemon, humoring her. They bunch together in order to fit into the frame as Chloe holds up Honey's phone, tongue sticking out of the corner of her mouth as she focuses the lens.

And if Tadashi puts his arm around GoGo's waist—if, imperceptibly, she leans closer to him than strictly necessarily—well, nobody's the wiser.

o.O.o

"Do you think anybody knows—"

"Nope," says GoGo, her hands warm as they skate across his stomach and around to his back.

"Okay, but maybe…we shouldn't…" It's hard to form a coherent sentence when GoGo's mouth is latched to his neck, and Tadashi thinks it's a good idea that their counselor uniforms are dark green polo shirts. Otherwise he'd have some explaining to do.

GoGo makes a frustrated noise, straining upward on her tiptoes. One of her hands slips out from under his shirt to curl around his collar in an attempt to drag him closer. "Is there something better you can be doing with your mouth or—"

Tadashi flips them around so that GoGo's the one pressed against the side of the cabin, swallowing the rest of her statement as he bends his head to meet hers. She smells like sunblock and tastes like grape bubblegum. The night air is sticky and humid but Tadashi doesn't care because he can feel every line of GoGo's body against him, the small tremor as he blows a puff of cool air against the little sweat beads gathered across her nose, and it sucks that he has to share a cabin with fifteen pubescent boys because otherwise—

"This doesn't change anything, you know," GoGo says breathlessly as she pulls away, hair wild in the moonlight, some of it sticking to her face. Tadashi brushes a strand off her cheek, tucking it behind her ear. "We're still kicking your ass tomorrow."

"Wouldn't have it any other way," he says, and leans in.

o.O.o

The next morning, GoGo's bandana has migrated from her wrist to her neck for _reasons unknown, _and Tadashi can't help tossing a victorious grin her way as he passes her during breakfast.

She very subtly gives him the finger.


	12. see my eyes (you've fallen for me)

**A/N: **a combination of "You're an idol and you got the lead role in a romance drama and you practice at my expense" + "I'm your manager and holy shit you have crazy fans" AU. Features: pining, cheesy confessions, fluffy makeouts, and me having way too much fun. Written for the Tomadashi Secret Santa over on tumblr. :)

* * *

><p>Tadashi has mixed feelings about crowds.<p>

On the one hand, the light flashing from thousands of cell phones can get dizzying, and his ears have never completely adjusted to hearing his name screamed. But when his fans sing his lines back at him or someone reaches out to grab his sleeve, a wondering look on her face, a warm feeling pools in his belly, because he's _reaching _all these people, even if it's just through the few crooning notes of a love song. He's not going to be arrogant enough to claim he's saving lives, but at his last signing a thirteen-year-old girl marched up to him, face determined, to tell him that his album had gotten her through "a rough patch," and that—that was enough. When he'd decided to go solo two years ago, he'd never expected this response.

So when he's onstage—it can get overwhelming, but for the most part it's manageable. It's afterwards, when he's leaving, that's the most difficult. Without an elevated stage, he's exposed to the paparazzi's bulging Canon cameras and the hundreds of grabby hands.

And there are _hundreds._

"Off," snaps GoGo, slapping someone lightly on the wrist in admonishment. The girl withdraws, looking startled and a bit hurt, but brightens when Tadashi winks at her in appeasement. GoGo's been pickier about letting people within arms-length of him ever since the incident at the Tokyo Dome, when someone managed to rip off one of his sleeves.

It's kind of funny, that his five-foot-three manager scares people more than Wasabi, his six-foot-two head of security. GoGo has a finger to her ear as she speaks through her Bluetooth, directing Heathcliff to meet them in front of the building. Wasabi walks behind Tadashi, keeping the fans at a proper distance, but GoGo's the one at the front lines, pushing her way through the mayhem and flashing the sharp point of her heels dangerously at anyone who dares challenge her. When Tadashi pauses to sign some girl's forearm, GoGo reaches back to grab his sleeve, tugging him along.

"Come to the show next month," she tells the girl, before turning to Tadashi and asking, "Do you _want_ to make it out of here in one piece?"

"Of course," says Tadashi, twisting slightly in her grip to toss the Sharpie back into the crowd.

GoGo rolls her eyes and makes a disgusted noise in the back of her throat. "You're hopeless."

"That's why I have you to look out for me," Tadashi says as Heathcliff pulls up in front of them, the car's jet-black paint glossy in the lights from the stadium.

Tadashi and GoGo tumble into the back as Wasabi shuts the doors behind them and waves them off. GoGo's brows are furrowed—she's just gotten another call—so Tadashi takes the lead and tells Heathcliff, "My place."

As they pull away from the curb, Tadashi tugs at the collar of his shirt. The fabric sticks uncomfortably to his neck from the sweat he worked up performing. He shoots GoGo a questioning look, mouthing, _"Clothes?"_

She jerks her thumb toward the row of seats behind them.

"You're an angel," Tadashi breathes, leaning over to kiss her forehead before he clambers into the backseat to change.

Halfway through pulling on the T-shirt that GoGo packed, Tadashi realizes the enormity of what he's done. Normally he's good about separating _Tadashi, popstar smiling prettily for the cameras_ from _Tadashi, actually terrible at talking to girls, _but tonight that line got blurred. GoGo's probably pulling up some lecture about harassment right now and he's going to have to stutter out some lame excuse, like, _sorry, I was just working off the adrenaline of tonight's show _when the truth is that he spends way more time than he should trying to see inside his manager's head.

Seriously, though. He's changing right behind her and she's not even the _littlest_ bit curious? There are girls across the country who doodle hearts around his name and have his posters up in their room and here he is—

_Tone it down, Tadashi,_ he reminds himself, heart in his throat as he crawls back over the seats, bracing himself for GoGo's stone-cold disapproval or a sharp, "What was that for?"

Nothing happens. GoGo is bent over her phone texting someone, the screen casting a bluish glow on her face. She doesn't even look over as Tadashi buckles his seatbelt again, and Tadashi suppresses a sigh as he rests his cheek on his hand and turns to look out the window. Figures. Why would a forehead kiss mean anything when it's from someone who makes his living off of stealing teenage girls' hearts?

He becomes so absorbed in his thoughts that he doesn't notice they're in front of his condo until Heathcliff clears his throat.

"Thanks, Heathcliff," he says, stepping out onto the sidewalk.

He freezes when he finds GoGo at his elbow.

"What are you—"

"You said I could look over that script you got, remember?"

"Yeah, but it's 11:30—"

The corner of GoGo's mouth curls upward. "You haven't gone through it yet, have you?"

"Well, no," Tadashi admits helplessly, "but—"

"So we'll flip through it together," says GoGo, adjusting her blazer. She tilts her head. "After you."

o.O.o

Tadashi fumbles for the light switch as GoGo eases off her heels. His condo is tidy, GoGo notes, before Tadashi ushers her toward the coffee table and disappears behind the kitchen island to get some green tea brewing.

GoGo sits on his couch, reaching for the stapled packet lying on the table.

"Is this the script?" she asks, skimming the first page.

"Yeah," Tadashi calls from the kitchen. "Is it—is it any good?"

"It's a _drama,_" snorts GoGo. "I think that speaks for itself."

"Let me see that," Tadashi's voice sounds from behind her as he leans over the back of the couch to snatch it from her hands. "You shouldn't judge a book by its cover."

He holds it up, brown eyes darting from line to line.

"Well?" prompts GoGo. "Any tragic deaths? Secret identities? Do you know who the other person in your love triangle is yet?"

"Not yet," answers Tadashi, handing her back the script. He raises an eyebrow. "If you feel so strongly about this, why'd you tell me to accept the role?"

"Because it's big," says GoGo. "You got the _lead,_ Tadashi. That's not nothing."

Tadashi ducks his head, the tips of his ears turning red. GoGo finds it endearing that he doesn't bat an eye when modeling for a magazine spread but still doesn't know how to take a compliment.

"Yeah, well," says Tadashi, scratching the back of his neck, "that's not going to matter if I don't know my lines."

"Come on," says GoGo, waving the papers in the air. "You're telling me that you can memorize the choreography for _Love in Disguise_ but not a few sentences of some sappy romance role?"

Tadashi scowls at her; he hates when she makes fun of his boy band days. "It's not the lines themselves I'm worried about—it's the delivery."

"So practice," shrugs GoGo.

"As lovely as my face is, I don't think making moony eyes at my reflection in the mirror is going to help."

"Yeah, like…" GoGo's finger falls on a line, "there isn't any way you can possibly save _this_ gem: _Meeting you…it must be fate. I couldn't have written the script better myself._" She looks at Tadashi, wrinkling her nose. "Do people seriously think these lines work?"

Tadashi shrugs, hiding a grin. "Debatable, but worth a shot. Not everyone's as skeptical as you are."

"Practice on me, then."

Tadashi blinks. "You?"

"Yeah," says GoGo, careful to keep her voice nonchalant. "Like you said, I'm a skeptic. If you can win _me_ over, your target audience will be a piece of cake."

"Right," says Tadashi, looking vaguely uncomfortable. "Okay. That—that's a good idea."

GoGo peels off her blazer and settles back into the couch, flipping back to the first page of the script.

"All right," she declares. "Let's get started."

o.O.o

GoGo wakes up with her mouth dry and the edge of a blanket tickling her chin.

"What…" she pushes herself up into a sitting position, rubbing her eyes. The room around her comes into focus: plush carpet, roomy leather sofa, glass coffee table, Yin & Yang cat coaster—

"_Shit."_ GoGo lurches for her phone, which flashes once with _9:15_ before the screen goes black.

Great. Her phone is dead and she's just slept over at _Tadashi Hamada's_ place. Last night is fuzzy in her memory. She has vague recollections of popping a bottle of champagne to celebrate nearing the end of Tadashi's concert tour, how eventually they had turned it into a challenge—one swig for every cringe-worthy line in the script—the way Tadashi's eyes had seemed sparklier after GoGo's tenth gulp—_oh, god._ GoGo prays she didn't do or say anything embarrassing.

"Morning," Tadashi says cheerily, breezing through the living room. His sweatpants sit low on his hips; a strip of bare skin gets exposed when he stretches his arm to set a cup of coffee in front of her. GoGo drags her attention away from it long enough to hiss, "Why didn't you wake me up?" _And why don't you look as crappy as I feel?_

"You looked like you needed the rest," says Tadashi. "Besides, it's Sunday. No one's going to bite your head off if you take a little time to yourself."

GoGo opens her mouth to say something about how that's _completely beside the point, _but Tadashi has already walked away, calling, "Do you want an omelet?" over his shoulder.

"Yes," answers GoGo, finally giving in. The whole scene is surreal and startlingly domestic; she's still trying to wrap her head around it as she combs fingers through her tangled hair and adjusts her wrinkled collar.

Tadashi grins when she finally pads into the kitchen. "Can you grab the oregano?" he asks, nodding toward the cabinet over her head.

GoGo cranes her neck upwards at it before narrowing her eyes. "Ha, ha."

"Shoot!" Tadashi's eyes widen as he remembers their height difference. "I didn't say that to make fun of you, I swear. Just—watch the pan for me, will you?" His hand finds the small of her back and pushes her toward the stove. Meanwhile, he edges around her, and GoGo stiffens, suddenly aware of her morning breath and their proximity.

"I had no idea you were such a morning person," she grumbles, watching the eggs bubble and hiss.

"But, GoGo, that's only Fact #3 on Seventeen's 'Thirty Things You Should Know' about me." He turns toward her, waving a small red shaker. "Pepper?"

GoGo wrinkles her nose. "No thanks. Also, just because I manage your media doesn't mean I _read_ it."

"Mhmm," hums Tadashi, taking the handle of the pan back from her. Deftly, he flips the finished omelet onto a plate and hands it over to her, along with a fork. "Careful, it's hot."

GoGo takes a steaming bite, eyes bulging. "It's _amazing._"

"I'm a man of many talents."

"Seriously, if you want to quit show business and become a chef, just tell me."

Tadashi smiles, but the smile quickly fades. "It'd never work."

"Why not?"

"Because." Tadashi's eyes slide away from her before flitting back. His shoulders rise and fall as he takes a deep breath and reaches forward, one hand coming up to tuck GoGo's hair behind her ear. "I'd be leaving something important behind."

GoGo nearly chokes on the piece she's chewing. "I'm—Tadashi?"

This is not at all how she'd imagined things going. Not that she _has_ imagined…_things_, it's just that she's wearing a wrinkled day-old outfit and has a half-eaten portion of omelet lodged in her windpipe, and Tadashi—

—is _grinning._

"It worked," he says, sounding partially surprised but also pleased.

"What—that was a _line?_"

"I read through the script again after you fell asleep," explains Tadashi, tapping the side of his head with one finger. "Episodes one and two."

GoGo is now completely pink—and not from desire. "You could have warned me."

"Wouldn't that have made your reaction less natural?"

"That—nothing about that was _natural_," scowls GoGo. "It was corny and weird."

Tadashi scans her from head to toe before chuckling and returning his attention to the stove.

"What—why are you _laughing_?" splutters GoGo, grabbing his elbow.

"Don't worry about it, GoGo."

"Like hell I won't! I'm your manager. There are no secrets between us, Tadashi!"

"GoGo—stop—I can't cook with you twisting my arm—"

"I'm not letting go until you fess up—"

"If you leave me alone I'll make you another omelet."

"…Deal."

o.O.o

Two hours before the concert, security is having a hard time keeping the crowd under control.

One guard, however, seems to be enjoying himself. GoGo looks up from her tablet to watch as he gets some of the fans back into an orderly line before tipping his hat at them, grinning. As if sensing her gaze, the security guard turns in GoGo's direction, and though hefty black sunglasses cover his eyes, GoGo knows exactly what they look like.

She makes a show of acting extremely focused on her tablet, her ears attuned to the guard's approach. Once he's beside her, she rounds on him, flicking the (totally fake) badge pinned to his chest.

"Having fun?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," grins Tadashi. "How do I look?"

What GoGo thinks: _he fills out the uniform well_.

What she actually _says_: "Sloppy." She reaches up to pick a piece of lint off one of the navy blue shoulder pads.

Tadashi chuckles, unfazed. "Wasabi dug it out of storage for me, so I'd say it's in pretty good condition, all things considered." His posture screams ease and relaxation, with his powder-blue shirt and his hands tucked in his pockets. "_So,_" he starts, the brim of his hat shading GoGo's face as he leans into her space, "what gave me away?"

What GoGo thinks: everything. She hasn't spent years sneaking Tadashi out of fansignings and protecting him from trigger-happy paparazzi for nothing. She knows the nuances of his stage voice (huskier than the one he uses in the studio) and can pick him out of a crowd based on at least ten different details. When he wants to go somewhere incognito he wears this ratty baseball cap that Hiro sent over from where he's studying in the States. He puts an unhealthy amount of cream in his coffee and is "more of a tea person, really." He rubs the side of his jaw with his thumb when he's nervous. GoGo knows all of this, but she also knows that admitting any of it oversteps the invisible boundaries drawn by her contract.

So what GoGo actually does: steps, ever-so-slightly, away. Schools her expression into one of faint amusement and says, shrugging: "Just a hunch."

o.O.o

"...So, like, hypothetically—if there was this girl, and she was a really big fan, and I know that Tadashi's performing over here next summer…"

"Have you talked to Tadashi about this?"

"Yeah, he told me to clear it with you. So…"

"Yes, I'll get you tickets and backstage access," GoGo says knowingly.

"Awesome! Thanks so much—"

"And Hiro?"

"…yes?" comes the reply; GoGo smiles, envisioning the younger Hamada's wary expression.

"Am I going to get to meet your girlfriend?"

"Wh—she's not—I have to go!" splutters Hiro, catching the tail end of GoGo's laughter as he ends the call.

Meanwhile, the older Hamada is having trouble ending a call of his own. Tadashi walks into the living room, eyes trained on the tablet in his hands.

"—yes, Aunt Cass, I'm eating plenty of vegetables. And the food poisoning was just _one _time, I—" he catches sight of GoGo smirking on the couch and reddens slightly. "Aunt Cass, can we finish this later? I have company—"

"Let me see!" urges Aunt Cass excitedly.

Shrugging helplessly, Tadashi hands the tablet over to GoGo. She's only talked to Cass a few times—the rest of what she knows comes from stories relayed by Tadashi and Hiro—but Tadashi's aunt is hardly a forgettable person, what with her expressive features and exuberant nature.

"Oh, it's you, GoGo," says Aunt Cass, the radiance of her smile dimming slightly.

"Hi Aunt Cass," says GoGo. "Not the company you had in mind?" she says it teasingly to let Cass know that she means well.

Cass's eyes widen. "No, I'm ecstatic to see you, dear! I just thought that maybe—well…" Aunt Cass's eyes flicker guiltily toward Tadashi before returning to GoGo. "…never mind."

Tadashi slides into the spot on the couch beside GoGo. "What is it, Aunt Cass," he sighs, the expression on his face hinting that he already anticipates what's about to come.

"I just…" Aunt Cass wrings her hands, "…was hoping it'd be a _girlfriend._"

GoGo bursts into laughter at the exact same time Tadashi groans and buries his face in his hands, mumbling, "Not this_ again._"

"He's too busy to date," explains GoGo, nudging Tadashi's shoulder with her elbow.

"That's what he keeps telling me, but I thought that maybe he was just too embarrassed to admit to anything," pouts Aunt Cass. "I mean—you're young, GoGo! Be honest with me. Is or is not my nephew a catch?"

GoGo struggles to keep a straight face as she answers, "He's a catch." Tadashi glares at her through the space between his fingers.

"And stardom is all well and good, but he needs a little love, you know? I try to keep myself updated through the fan sites, but it's so hard to tell what's real and what's just speculation. Like whatever happened to that actress, Masa—Misa—"

"Misako?" supplies GoGo, delighting in the strangled noise that Tadashi makes.

"Yes, were they ever a thing?"

"They went out to lunch once or twice."

"And nothing?"

"I guess not. She's engaged to her costar now, from _Seven Ways to Say I Love You_?"

"Oh!" exclaims Cass, looking outraged. "She passed over Tadashi for _him?_"

"_Okay,"_ Tadashi finally interjects, coming back into view of the camera. "Aunt Cass, stay safe and healthy. I love you. GoGo and I have work to do now. _Bye."_

After the video call closes, it's quiet for a few seconds.

"You," Tadashi declares eventually, "are a _terrible_ friend."

"It's nice to see you flustered every now and then," says GoGo. "Stick you in front of a thousand fangirls and you're okay. But one middle-aged woman and…" she waves a hand in the air.

"My aunt is _crazy," _groans Tadashi.

"She just wants you to be happy."

"I _am_ happy. And single. The two are not mutually exclusive."

"Okay, Happily Single Hamada it is. But you're going to need to channel your less content side for this next scene," says GoGo, pointing to where they'd left off in lines practice before they'd had to take their respective calls.

"Right." Tadashi clears his throat before throwing one arm over the back of the couch, the picture of ease. The transition from awkward nephew to actor-in-training is disorienting, and GoGo has to blink a few times to get her bearings.

"I meant what I said before," begins Tadashi, eyes softening. "This isn't easy for me. But I think that it's what I have to do."

Crossing her legs beneath her, GoGo reads, slowly, "When will you be back?"

"Cut." Tadashi leans forward again, hands clasped together, elbows resting on his knees. A furrow appears between his eyebrows.

"What?" prods GoGo.

"A little more emotion from my love interest might be nice," jokes Tadashi, eyes crinkling as he tilts his face toward her.

"The point is to practice _your_ lines, not mine."

"Yeah, but these things work off each other, GoGo. There has to be a certain atmosphere. You could sound a little more disappointed or something, and you don't have to do that weird deadpan expression."

"I do not do a weird deadpan expression!" protests GoGo, wrinkling her nose.

"Not normally you don't, but when you're reading these lines it's like you're suddenly playing poker."

"There's a reason you're getting paid to do this and I'm not. Acting isn't part of my job description."

"Here, I have an idea," Tadashi says suddenly. "Let's do a bonding exercise, to set the tone."

"I swear to god, Tadashi, if you're going to make me talk about feelings—"

"Just hear me out." Tadashi tugs the script out of her hands and reaches for his phone, opening to the timer. "Two minutes of silence and looking into each other's eyes."

"This is straight out of a relationship column. What the hell, Tadashi, are you fourteen?"

_"__Silence,"_ Tadashi insists firmly, starting the clock, and GoGo is so stunned by his seriousness that she shuts up.

It is the weirdest two minutes of her life.

The proximity isn't uncomfortable; they're a good arms-length away from each other on the couch. And Tadashi's eyes aren't unfamiliar, either, just part of the "wholesome heartthrob" image they use to sell his CDs. But it's really hard to fixate on just his eyes. There's his nose, which, now that GoGo thinks about it, is maybe a little big for his face, and his ears kind of stick out weirdly but _man_ does Tadashi look good with slightly messy hair. Wait, she's supposed to focus on his eyes. Why on earth did she agree to this? This is the stupidest exercise ever created—hold on, why do Tadashi's eyes keep flicking downwards…?

And GoGo frowns and looks down as well, which brings her attention to Tadashi's…

…mouth.

The alarm goes off.

Snapping back to reality, GoGo lunges for the script. Meanwhile, Tadashi leans back, unruffled.

"Okay, now start from your part," he instructs.

_It's just a dumb script, _thinks GoGo. Swallowing, she starts again: "When will you be back?"

And maybe it's just Tadashi's acting, but when he replies, faintly, "I'm not sure," he seems the tiniest bit sad.

o.O.o

The months pass. Tadashi starts filming his drama and GoGo becomes occupied with working out scheduling and details for next year's concert tour.

She's opening up her laptop to check on ticket sales when a headline catches her eye.

Frowning, GoGo clicks on it. Her suspicions are confirmed when she sees the familiar gray cardigan; underneath, the caption reads: '_Back to the Start' co-stars starting up something more?_

Nothing much is happening in the photo—Tadashi's just opening the door for his companion.

And smiling. One of his dorky, goofy ones, too, not the camera-ready grin he slides into place when needed.

It's not a big deal.

But because there's still a weird, unsettled feeling in her stomach, GoGo does what she usually does under these circumstances.

She calls Honey.

o.O.o

The first thing Honey says, upon answering: "It's a pretty cute photo."

GoGo narrows her eyes. "How did you know?"

"Sweetie, as your go-to source on what the Internet is saying about your pretty boy popstar, it's my job to know these things."

"And what _is_ the Internet saying?" GoGo asks cautiously.

"Comments range from heartbroken to 'omg they are the cutest things ever,'" discloses Honey. She pauses before asking, "Do you think it's serious?"

"How am I supposed to know?" GoGo retorts sharply. "You're the one who ran a blog dedicated to him."

"First of all, those were my younger years. Secondly, _you're_ the one who actually gets to interact with him, which, by the way, I am super jealous about—that one time you let me meet him at an after party totally doesn't count."

"I don't know how he acts when he actually likes someone. I _thought_ he was into Misako but that ended up being wrong. And then there was all this crap about how he's happy with being single—"

"Wait, when was that?"

"A few months ago? I don't remember exactly."

"He just announced that randomly?"

"Well, no, it was because his aunt was giving him a hard time."

"Why were you involved in a conversation between him and his aunt?"

"I was at his condo—"

"_You were in his condo?"_

"Honey!" GoGo pulls the phone away from her ear, wincing at the sudden spike in her friend's volume. "Not a big deal. I was helping him with his lines. For the drama. That he's filming with…" her voice gets quieter as she continues staring at the article open in front of her. Gray cardigan. Black hair. Tadashi smiling. "…Nyoko."

"Oh, GoGo," sighs Honey.

"Don't say it."

Honey Lemon laughs, fond and sympathetic. "I don't need to."

o.O.o

Things that bother GoGo: traffic, having to repeat herself, and realizing, belatedly, that she has to do something about being halfway in love with Tadashi Hamada.

With Tadashi being so busy with recording, GoGo doesn't see him frequently. When they do run into each other in the hallways, it's easy to fake being in the middle of a call until she can turn the corner and escape to the bathroom or make a run to the nearby coffee shop. Things seem to work out, up until she finds Tadashi standing in front of the door to her office, hands tucked in his pockets, a determined look on his face.

She starts backpedaling without thinking.

In a flash, Tadashi has caught up to her, fingers circling her wrist. GoGo struggles halfheartedly as he tugs her along, opening the door to her office wordlessly. Once they're inside, GoGo finds her voice again, her throat tightening involuntarily as she growls, "Let go of me."

Tadashi quickly obliges, raising both hands in a gesture of surrender as he backs up against the door. Concern shines in his eyes. He's just wrapped up his segment for the day—GoGo can tell from the makeup still caking his face and the gleam of gel in his hair.

And suddenly she's mad. Mad at the traitorous thump of her heart. Mad at how she should know better. Mad at Tadashi and his movie-star smile and his obliviousness and how, when it comes down to it, maybe she doesn't know him at all, because sometimes he looks at her and she thinks—

GoGo grips the edge of her desk to hide the tremor in her hands.

"You've been avoiding me," Tadashi finally says, arms dropping to his sides.

"I've been busy." _Stay unconcerned. Stay safe._

Something flickers in Tadashi's eyes. "Don't lie to me, GoGo." He hesitates before venturing, "Does it have anything to do with Nyoko?"

Stiffening, GoGo straightens and glares at him. "I don't care about any of that."

"Because nothing's going on with us. And I've been careful with the press—I know how hard your job can get when you have to deal with bad publicity—"

"That's what you think this is about? Publicity?" asks GoGo, voice cracking even though she doesn't mean it to.

"Honestly, I don't know what to think," breathes Tadashi, and suddenly he's only a foot away instead of over by the door. "GoGo, I know that sometimes it seems like I take you for granted, but I _notice_ when you aren't around. These past few weeks… I've kept quiet about it because I've been trying to figure things out, but running lines with you—_being_ around you—"

It feels like something out of a drama. Like a confession, dangerous and slightly desperate. A heart teetering, ready to plummet over a ledge.

"Tadashi, stop." Her hands are on his chest now—when did that happen? When did he get so close? "We can't—" She takes a deep breath, trying to gather her thoughts. "This isn't one of your sappy romances."

Tadashi frowns, pulling back slightly. "Of course not. I'm being honest, GoGo." His voice is a mixture of startled, worried, and amused. "Did you really think I was pulling another line?"

"_No._ I mean—"

And GoGo makes the mistake of looking up at him. Tadashi's lips are slightly parted, and there's so much hope and vulnerability etched across his face that GoGo makes herself sick with the knowledge of what she's about to say. What she _has_ to say. Because Tadashi's face—

It's the face of someone who'd wait, if she let him.

"I mean," she starts again, willing her voice to remain firm, "that you've been reading the signs wrong. I'm sorry if I misled you. I just wanted to help. But this? Us?" GoGo pushes him away, making space so she can gesture between them. "Strictly professional."

Confusion turns into devastation before Tadashi closes his eyes, effectively closing off any window into his thoughts. When he opens them again, he's managed to marshal his expression into one of mostly mortification.

"I'm sorry. Oh, god, I'm such an idiot, I just—"

"Tadashi—" GoGo fights the urge to reach for him. _Just rip it off, like a band-aid._

"It's fine. It's my fault. I—I'll just be going, now," says Tadashi, beginning to leave. At the door, he pauses to throw one last glance at her over his shoulder. "Sorry for—for everything," he says, offering a pained smile.

"I'm sorry, too," says GoGo, watching as Tadashi walks back out into the hallway, as the door swings shut behind him, something hard and final clicking into place.

o.O.o

It's Friday evening and GoGo is alone in her apartment, glaring at her TV.

The remote has disappeared somewhere into the depths of her couch. She digs around before finding it, slumping back against her cushions and sighing heavily as she presses the _on_ button and flips through the channels.

It doesn't take her long to locate the one she's looking for. Bubbly music plays—the opening sequence is already halfway complete—but GoGo inhales sharply as Tadashi's face appears onscreen, hand shadowing his eyes as he squints into the sun before smiling winningly at the camera. It's jarring, how it feels as if he's in her living room when he isn't.

The fact that GoGo notices his absence so acutely annoys her. She's the one who scheduled the premiere party, after all. She's the one who left him a very impersonal note saying it'd be best for publicity if he attended. She's the one who didn't respond to the polite text he'd sent asking if she'd be there, too. She's the one sitting by herself in her pajamas—

Somebody knocks on the door.

GoGo scrambles to her feet, heart thumping.

Hesitantly, she unlatches the door, not daring to look up. A scuffed pair of tennis shoes, covered by the overlong hem of some jeans, fills her vision, just as a voice drawls, "Delivery."

GoGo's gaze snaps upward. The boy in front of her has on a blue beanie over shaggy, shoulder-length unkempt hair, and there's a suspicious looking stain on the sleeve of his pink shirt. His nametag reads "Fred," and he holds up the box of pizza, eyebrows raised in a question, as GoGo stands and gapes.

She is _such_ an idiot.

"This _is_ the right address, right?" Fred asks, peering closer at the embossed plate by her door. "One small pizza, mushrooms and—"

"It's mine," GoGo says, a bit more harshly than she intended. She slaps a wad of cash into Fred's hand and hurriedly pulls her box of pizza from him, shutting the door as quickly as she can. She can already hear the show starting. Cursing, GoGo runs back into the living room, the pizza box warm on her lap as she flips open the lid and tears into a piece, eyes glued to the television as she tries to figure out what she's missed.

(She's not going to think about how her stomach lurched when she went to answer the door. She's not. She's _not_.)

The drama is surprisingly engaging. Despite how much GoGo wants to shut it off, she can't tear her eyes away. Tadashi is acing his role, every look and gentle gesture laced with longing. Even his cheesier lines are delivered with a playfulness that makes her heart flutter. Five minutes of a guilty pleasure become fifteen, then thirty, and by the time the commercial break hits, GoGo knows that she's going to spend the next hour of the two-episode premiere glued to the couch, hating herself.

She's digging around in the fridge for some Calpis when her doorbell rings.

GoGo frowns. Trying to remember if she had any other scheduled deliveries, she walks out into the hallway and yanks open her door, not bothering to look through the peephole.

Almost immediately, she wishes she had.

Tadashi Hamada is standing in front of her, looking like he just stepped off the red carpet or some magazine page. There's a flower peeking out the pocket of his charcoal gray suit. His hair is perfectly coiffed and GoGo hates it, wants to see it flattened by his stupid baseball cap or mussed from running away from his legion of fangirls. Instead, he has the nerve to stand there looking polished and presentable while GoGo is wearing a ratty old T-shirt and striped blue pajama pants.

"You're not supposed to be here," she says by way of greeting.

A brief look of hurt flashes across Tadashi's face before his mouth hardens into a determined line and he steps across the threshold of her doorway.

"No, seriously," says GoGo, grabbing an umbrella out of her umbrella stand and holding it in front of her like a sword. Tadashi takes another step forward, the tip of the umbrella pressing into his stomach.

"GoGo," he says exasperatedly. "We need to talk."

"So talk. At an _arms-length away._"

"This is ridiculous!" He drags a hand through his hair, and GoGo watches the gesture approvingly before she snaps out of it, glaring at the ground. "I just wanted—I just came here to say…" Tadashi's shoulders sag and he drops his hand from his head, looking defeated. "Look, I know things have been awkward ever since my stupid screw-up, but… I miss you. I want us to still be friends, at least. And the stuff I said before—that's in the past, now. So you don't have to worry about it."

What GoGo thinks: _I didn't want it to be like this._ A part of her, however small, had hoped that Tadashi might still hold on, no matter what she told him.

What GoGo says: "Friends is a good idea."

"Okay." Tadashi blinks, relief spreading across his face. "So I—I'll see you around, then." Halfway through putting his left shoe back on, however, he freezes. He tilts his head, one ear cocked, brow wrinkled in confusion. "Is that…you're watching the premiere?"

Every part of GoGo goes cold. "Well," she hedges, "you can't exactly blame me, after all the hype we drummed up about it—"

"You _hate_ dramas," Tadashi says slowly, stepping forward. Then, softer: "Right?"

And GoGo can see that he's figured it out. His chocolate-brown eyes have darkened with intensity, the look he gets right before he's about to step onstage or face one of his roaring crowds. He takes another step. She doesn't move. She can smell his cologne, now: crisp and heady and familiar.

Maybe she does know Tadashi. And he knows her.

"GoGo," he murmurs. His hand is on the small of her back now. Warm, gentle. "Can I—"

"You can," she breathes, and kisses him.

o.O.o

"I was lying, earlier," says GoGo, when it's been five minutes and Tadashi has graduated from kissing her nose and lips to trailing his mouth along her jawline and neck. "When I said that things between us were strictly professional."

She can feel Tadashi's smile against her pulse. "For the record, I was lying earlier, too," he confides. "When I said that I just wanted to be friends."

GoGo raises an eyebrow. "This doesn't count as getting friendly?"

"It can if you want," laughs Tadashi, raising his head to grin at her.

What GoGo thinks: _I'm halfway in love with you._

What GoGo actually says: "I hate your hair."

"So do something about it," challenges Tadashi.

"Oh, I plan to," GoGo says breathlessly, before dragging him down by the lapels to kiss him again.

o.O.o

Five minutes later, Tadashi is thoroughly disheveled.

"Better?" he smirks, disentangling himself from GoGo's arms. His hair is messy—just the way GoGo likes it—his jacket crumpled on the floor, his tie unknotted. And GoGo secretly congratulates herself for managing to maneuver him against her wall.

"Better," she replies, knitting her fingers with his and stepping forward between his legs to peck his cheek. The TV is still playing in the background. "Now come on. I don't want to miss what happens next."


End file.
